Full text of "Antic Magazine Volume 2 Number 03 (Data Base Survey)"

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; 121383i

If I ALONSO " i

\}-* PEBIOOrCAL

The ATARI Resource

Player -Missile l\/lo\^men't

Can acomputermake you cry?

'^m

H Right now, no one knows. This is
partly because many would consider
the very idea frivolous. But it's also
because whoever successfully ans-
wers this question must first have
answered several others.

Why do we cry? Why do we
laugh, or love, or smile? What are the
touchstones of our emotions?

Until now, the people who asked
such questions tended not to be
the same people who ran software
companies. Instead, they were
writers, filmmakers, painters, musi-
cians.They were, in the traditional
sense, artists.

We're about to change that
tradition.The name of our company
is Electronic Arts.

Software WORTHY

OF THE MINDS THAT

USE IT We are a new association
of electronic artists united by a com-
mon goal — to fulfill the enormous
potential of the personal computer.

In the short term, this means
transcending its present use as a facili-
tator of unimaginative tasks and
a medium for blasting aliens. In the
long term, however, we can expect
a great deal more.

These are wondrous machines
we have created, and in them can be
seen a bit of their makers. It is as if
we had invested them with the image
of our minds. And through them, we
are learning more and more about
ourselves.

k : Wfe learn, for instance, that we
are more entertained by the involve-
ment of our imaginations than
by passive viewing and listening. We
learn that we are better taught by
experience than by memorization.
And we learn that the traditional

distinctions — the ones that are made
between art and entertainment and
education — don't always apply.

TOWARD A LANGUAGE

OF DREAMS Tn short, we
are finding that the computer can be
more than just a processor of data.

It is a communications medium:
an interactive tool that can bring
people's thoughts and feelings closer
together, perhaps closer than ever
before. And while fifty years from
now, its creation may seem no more
important than the advent of motion
pictures or television, there is a
chance it will mean something more.

Something along the lines of
a universal language of ideas and
emotions. Something like a smile.

The first publications of Electronic
Arts are now available. We suspect
you'll be hearing a lot about them.
Some of them are games like you've
never seen before, that get more
out of your computer than other
games ever have. Others are harder
to categorize — and we like that.

Watch us. were providing
a special environment for talented,
independent software artists. It's
a supportive environment, in which
big ideas are given room to grow.
And some of America's most re-
spected software artists are beginning
to take notice.

We think our current work reflects
this very special commitment.
And though we are few in number
today and apart from the main-
stream of the mass software market-
place, we are confident that both
time and vision
are on our side.

Join us.
We see farther. Electronic Arts

V ,*:i

Software artists? "I'm not so

sure there are any software artists yeti'
says Bill Budge."We've got to earn that
title." Pictured here are a few people
who have come as close to earning it as
anyone we know.

That's Mr. Budge himself, creator
of PINBALL CONSTRUCTION
SET, at the upper right. To his left are
Anne 'Westfall and Jon Freeman who,
along with their colleagues at Free Fall
Associates, created ARCHON and
MURDER ON THE ZINDERNEUF

Left of them is Dan Bunten of
OEark Softscape, the firm that wrote
M.U.L.E.To Dan's left are Mike Abbot
(top) and Matt Alexander (bottom),
authors of HARD HAT MACK. In the
center is John Field, creator of AXIS
ASSASSIN and THE LAST GLAD-
IATOR. David Maynard, lower right,
is the man responsible for WORMS?

When you see what they've accom-
plished, we think you'll agree with us
that they can call themselves whatever
they want.

We've Got More Than A
Fond Attachment For Your

I ATARI

f We've Got A Disk Drive For $488.

Percom Data Corporation believes your Atari* tiome computer is more than just
fun and games. We believe you should be able to get a single-density floppy-disk-
system for your Atari 400 or 800 at a price that will take you into the future without
knocking you into the next galaxy

Percom Data has been manufacturing disk-drive systems, and other accessories
for personal computers since the mid-1970's and is the industry standard to
follow when it comes to data separation and system compatibility

The Percom Data AT-88 combines Percom Data quality and reliability at a price
that is not a budget-buster.

The Percom Data AT-88 offers 88 Kbytes (formatted) in single-density with plug-
in ease of attachment to your Atari. The AT-88 has integral power supply "no-
patch" to Atari DOS and critical constant speed regulation.

Take advantage of this low introductory price of $488 by calling Percom Data now
to get more information, or the name of an authorized dealer nearby. Call toll-free

1-800-527-1222

PEFOCM m\\

CORPORATION

Expanding Your Peripheral Vision

DRIVES • NETWORKS • SOFTWARE

11220 Pagemill Road Dallas, Texas 75243 (214) 340-7081
1-800-527-1222

•Aiati 400 800 IS a.traiism«

■ , , -J

■ ■ 1

Anfie
^ The ATARr Resource

FEATURES

FILLING THE GAP by Brian Lee

JUNE 1983, Volume 2, Number

ATARI systems support clothing stores

UP AND DOWN by Chris Nicotra

Vertical movement for Player/Missiles

START INTERRUPTING by Marian Lorenz and Mar) Moose 24

Setting up Display Lists

DATA BASE BASICS by Ken Harms

An overview

DATA BASE SURVEY— FULL-SCALE SYSTEMS by Ken Harms 47

A comparison

DATA BASE SURVEY-SMALL-SCALE SYSTEMS by Ken Harms 55

A comparison

DEPARTMENTS

INSIDE ATARI

APX by Robert DeWitt

STARTING LINE

DANCIN' MAN by Steve Englehan and Dave Menconi

ASSEMBLY LANGUAGE

AUTOBOOT FOR BASIC by Eric Verheiden

TAPE TOPICS

FILE FORMATS by Carl Evans

IN THE PUBLIC DOMAIN

LONE EAGLE'S REVENGE byjohn Weber

GAMES DEPARTMENT

SUPERCHARGER by Dan Gutman

EDUCATION

STARGAZING by Thomas Krischan

I/O BOARD

TANGLE ANGLES _
NEW PRODUCTS _
PRODUCT REVIEWS.
HELP!

. 6

_38

_67

.84

PUBLIC DOMAIN SOFTWARE
ATARI CLINIC

GOTO DIRECTORY _
ADVERTISERS' LIST _
SUBSCRIPTION FORM

_ 98

102

_I03

108

.56-57

June 1983

ANTIC

Publishing

I/O BOARD

Editor & Publisher

James Capparell

Managing Editor

Robert DeWitt

Editorial Assistant

Deborah Burns

Contributing Editors

Jon Loveless
Ken Harms
Carl Evans

Technical Consultant

Jerry White

Technical Assistant

David Duberman

Art Director

Marni Tapscott

Cover Illustration

Peter Bartczak

Production Manager

Lauren McGeehan

Production & Design

Mona Borger

Contributing Illustrators

Beatrice Benjamin
Mona Borger

Circulation Manager

Les Torok

Business Manager

Khevan Lennon

Administrative Assistant

Caitlin Morgan

Advertising/ Production Coordinator

Linda Tapscott

Advertising Sales

Steve Randall
(415) 221-0214

ANTIC is an independent periodical not affiliated

in any way with Atari, Inc. ATARI is a trademark

of Atari, Inc. ATARI 400 and ATARI 800 and

ATARI 1200XL are trademarks of Atari, Inc.

AH references should be so noted.

June 1983,

Volume 2, Number 3

ANTIC— The ATARI Resource, is published

twelve times per year by ANTIC Publishing.

Editorial offices are located at 600 18th Street,

San Francisco, CA 94107. Telephone is

(415) 864-0886. ISSN 0745-2527. Second Class

Postage paid at San Francisco, California and

additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send

address change to ANTIC, 600 18th Street,

San Francisco, CA 94107.

Editorial submissions should include program

listing on disk or cassette, and text file on media

and paper if text was prepared with a word

processor. Media will be returned if self-addressed

stamped mailer is supplied. ANTIC assumes no

responsibility for unsolicited editorial material.

REACTION

Your new program listing approach
contains two elements that have a ten-
dency to increase the typing error rate,
at least for me. "When looking for erro-
neous entries, I check to see that the
line wraps at the correct point, and
that the last character of a logical line
aligns with preceding lines. Your new
"typeset listings" violate the conditions
that allow me to proofread listings
using my technique.

I thoroughly enjoy ANTIC, and am
very happy to see you are going
monthly. Please give some thought to
my reaction to your new format.

Curtis P. Hedman
Saint Paul, MN

Your solution requires true mono-
spacing for all characters, including
punctuation and the "custom"
graphics set. There is no such font yet
available. —ANTIC ED

CONTRIBUTION

I have come up with a neat little pro-
gram that displays GTIA Mode 11.
The listing looks simple, but it draws a
complex picture. Here is the program:

Tim Miltz
Indiana, PA

;Y1^

;Y2 =192:

35
40

65
70

X1=0:X2=

GRAPHICS 11

X1=X1+1 :X2=X2-1 :Y1=Y1+

1:Y2=Y2-1

IF Y2 = 0 OR Y1 = 192 THEN X

1 =20 : X2 = 60 : Y1 =48 : Y2= 144

IF X1> = 80 THEN X1=79

PLOT X1,Y1:DRAWT0 80-X1

, 192-Y1

PLOT X1,Y2:DRAWT0 80-X1

,192-Y2

IF X2=0 THEN X2=1

PLOT X2,Y1:DRAWT0 80-X2

, 192-Y1

COLOR C:C = C-M:IF C=15 T

HEN 0=1

GOTO 20

RECREATION

I recently received an ATARI 800 for
Christmas, and every day after school I
use it. Here is a program I wrote
myself. I got the idea from your issue
on Sound and Music. I call it the TMT
SPECIAL. Hope you like it.

T. Michael Tebo
West Chester, PA

5
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100

110

120
130
140
150

REM **TMT SPECIAL **

GRAPHICS 3+16

FOR A=0 TO 2

COLOR A

FOR B=1 TO 15

FOR C = 2 TO 14 STEP 2

SETCOLOR 4,B,C

SOUND 0,B*C,10,8

SOUND 1,210-8*0, 10,8

PLOT B,C:DRAWTO C,B

PLOT 11+B,4+C:DRAWT0 1

1+C,4+B

PLOT 21+B,C:DRAWT0 21 +

C,B

FOR W=1 TO 25: NEXT W

NEXT C

NEXT B

NEXT A

ROOT FUNCTION

I am a high school freshman. My inter-
est in math, and the lack of any root
function in ATARI BASIC other than
square root, led me to create a method
of returning any root of any number.
My method is based on the "Logarithm
of the Root Law" which states that the
Log of the Bth root of A equals (Log
A)/Bor(l/B)LogA.

Darron Bacall
Staten Island, NY

REM CALCULATION OF THE

X ROOT OF N

? "EICLOG OF THE X ROOT

OF
?

N=( 1 /X)*CLOG(N
••N = " ;:INPUT N:?

•■X=" ;:

INPUT X:?

50
60
70

Y =
?

■■(1/X)
= (1/X)
Y:?

*CLOG(N)=
*CLOG(N)

= 10 -^ Y

"THE X

ROOT OF N

100

ANTIC, The ATARI Resource

sj&s^-ssr?'"

sgsssssStr

o<^^

^»s

sf>

Scattered about in the various buildings of the Soviet diplomatic mission in
Pyongyang are the parts to an encoded message that could put you on Easy Street for
the rest of your days. There are only two problems: Obtaining the entire code, and
deciphering it.

The mission is patrolled by some pretty nasty security guards riding in elevators
throughout each building. You, on the other hand, can carry no weapons if you are to
sneak by the mission's stietal detectors. After all, you're a spy, not an assassin. Too
bad the same isn't true for the guards...

Spy's Demise: A dangerously addictive arcade/action game for Apple and now Atari computers.
Apple II version requires 48K and disk drive. Atari 400/800 Dislc version requries 32K. Atari 400/800 Cassette version requries Z4K.

Be sure to watcii out (or "The Spy Strikes Back", coming soon to a computer store near you!

PSn^Uin SOf f U/drS™ ^^l^) 232-1984 830 Fowth Avenue, Geneva, IL 60134

the graphics people Dealer Hotlkie: (800)323-0116, retailers only, please.

Apple is a trademark of Apple Computer, Inc. Atari is a trademark of Atari, Inc.

I/O BOARD

MODULATION

I am learning Assembly Language, and
am trying to design a new game. I can't
figure out how to change graphics
modes while under the power of the
Assembler Editor cartridge.

V Chris Voigt

Shoreham, NY

We posed this question to Jerry White,
who responded with the following self-
documented Assembler Editor listing.
Jerry suggests that, when printing
characters to the screen in Assembly
Language, that you stick to using
documented ROM jump vectors such
as the Central I/O routine Vector
(CIOV at $E456) as described in De
Re Atari, rather than using the put
character subroutine at $F6A4.

—ANTIC ED

0100
0110

0120
0130

.OPT NOEJECT
jMODEI .SRC BY JERRY W
HUE

;THIS ASSEMBLER CODE S

IMULATES
0140 ;THE FOLLOWING BASIC P

ROGRAM:
0150
0160
0170
0180

0190
0200
0210
0220

0230
0240
0250

0260
0270

0280

0290

0300
0310

CLOSE #6
GRAPHICS 1

PRINT #6 ["GRAPHICS M
ODE ONE"
; PRINT "TEXT WINDOW"

■ASSEMBLE THEN
; EXECUTE FROM BUG (G6
20)

$600

RELOCATABLE

;SC

DEV .BYTE "S:"
REEN

MSG1 .BYTE "GRAPHICS
MODE ONE" ,$9B

MSG2 .BYTE "TEXT WIND
OW" ,$9B

0320 LDA #$C ; CL

OSE
0330 STA $342, X

0340 JSR $E456 ; LET

CIOV DO IT
0350 ;
0360 LDX #$60 ; IOC

B #6
0370 ;
0380 LDA #$3 ; OP

EN
0390 STA $342, X

0400 LDA #DEV&$00FF; A

DDRESS
0410 STA $344, X

0420 LDA #DEV/256 ;

OF DATA
0430 STA $345, X

0440 LDA #$1C

EAD/ WRITE
0450 STA $34A,X

0460 LDA #$1

; R
; GR
; LE

LDX #$60

; IOC

B #6

0470 STA $34B,X

0480 JSR $E456

T CIOV DO IT
0490 ;
0500 LDX #$60 ; 10

CB #6
0510 LDA #$9 ;PU

T RECORD
0520 STA $342, X

0530 LDA #MSG1&$00FF;

ADDRESS
0540 STA $344, X

0550 LDA #MSG1 7 256 ;

OF DATA
0560 STA $345, X

0570 LDA #$12 ; LE

NGTH OF
0580 STA $348, X

0590 LDA #$0 ; M

SGI
0600 STA $349, X

0610 JSR $E456 ; LE

T CIOV DO IT
0620 ;
0630 LDX #$0 ; 10

CB #0 (TEXT)
0640 LDA #$9 ; PU

T RECORD
0650 STA $342, X

0660 LDA #MSG2&$00FF;

ADDRESS
0670 STA $344, X

0680 LDA #MSG2/256 ;

OF DATA
0690 STA $345, X

0700 LDA #$D ; LE

NGTH
0710 STA $348, X

0720 LDA #$0 ; M

SG2
0730 STA $349, X

0740 JSR $E456 ; LE

T CIOV DO IT
0750 BRK ; EN

D DEMO

OBJECTION

I object to your encouraging the use of
such products as Micropainter, Paint,
and Versawriter in your cover art con-
test. Those of us who do not own any
of these do not have a fair chance to
win.

Concerned
Programmer

One of the first entries to the contest
was a very impressive full-color draw-
ing done in Graphics Mode 7 in BASIC
A +. The atari's inherent graphics
capabilities are quite powerful and
may be readily harnessed without
special software. — ANTIC ED

TRANSLATION

Are Microsoft BASIC and Applesoft
BASIC compatible? Could I use Apple
programs in my ATARI? Why or why
not?

David Moore
Ballston Lake, NY

You can't use Apple programs on your
ATARI. Each machine has a distinctly
different Operating System, and the
ATARI has additional chips not pres-
ent on the Apple. There are many simi-
larities among the various forms of
BASIC, and if you familiarize yourself
with them, it is possible to "translate"
BASIC programs from one machine
into BASIC programs for another. The
ATARI Microsoft BASIC manual in-
cludes a section on converting pro-
grams. —ANTIC ED

June 1983

E3(TIX1BE A NEW IlMENSiOSI IN SQFimRE

f^mm^

INTRODUCING ACTION! — Now the fastest 8-bit language

Another first from OSS! ACTION! is a brand new language designed to run on 6502-based computers,
including Atari, Apple II, and Commodore 64. A powerful, structured language, ACTION! can draw out a new,
higher dimension of performance from these machines, with speeds never seen before. ACTION! combines some ofXi,)
the best features of such languages as Pascal, C, and Algol, and offers speeds over 100 times faster than BASIC interpreters.

ACTION! is ideal for games, music processing, real-time control, and many other applications. But if what you're really
looking for is raw speed in compiled code, ACTION! is just for you. There's more . . . ACTION! comes with a 128-column screen
editor which rivals word processing programs, as well as a monitor mode which allows you to choose between on-line activities.
ACTION!'s unique one-pass compiler will accept code from memory, disk, or cassette, and ACTION! has the ability to include
source library files.

ACTION! is provided in cartridge form only. Introductory price for ATARI Version $99.00

Call or write for availability of Apple II and Commodore 64 Versions.

A Strong Software Family

Other major systems software products from OSS include:

BASIC A +
C/65
MAC/65
BUG/65

OSi

the only logical upgrade to Atari BASIC with extra
features for games and business programs.... $80. 00

the first native mode "small c" compiler for Atari
and Apple computers.... $80. 00

the finest and fastest complete 6502 macro
assembler/editor package you can buy. ...$80.00

a powerful, self-relocatable debugger. FREE with
MAC/65.... $34.95

And More...

OS/A + , the first and finest operating system for BOTH Atari and Apple II
computers, is NOW included FREE as a part of every OSS systems software
package. OS/A+ features a keyboard-driven, easy-to-use command processor,
several simple resident commands, and logical and readable requests for even the
most sophisticated utility commands. Versions of OS/A+ for some higher
capacity drives are available at extra cost.

NOTE: Unless otherwise noted, all OSS products require 48K and at least
one disk drive.

ASK YOUR DEALER, or call or write for our brochure.

ATARI, APPLE II, and TINY C are trademarks of Atari, Inc., Apple Computer, Inc., and
Tiny C Associates, respectively. MAC/65, C/65, BASIC A-1-, BUG/65, and OS/A-I- are
trademarks of Optimized Systems Software, Inc.

Optimized Systems Software, Inc. 10379 Lansdale Avenue • Cupertino • California • 95014 • (408) 446-3099

INSIDE ATARI

APX

On top of the heap

by ROBERT DeWITT

\Jnce upon a time there was a wonderful machine that had almost
nothing to do. It was the ATARI Home Computer "We need more soft-
ware!" cried all the new ATARI owners. "Okay, okay, we're working on
it/' Atari officials soothed them, and that's how APX was horn.

APX stands for Atari Program Exchange, until recently a
slightly known and casually regarded stepchild of the
parent company. But in the last year APX has shown its
muscle as a profit center and is at least as strong and hearty
as any competing software company. It now offers over 170
titles for the ATARI computers, among them some of the
best, and best values, available anywhere.

To top if off, all the APX products are the work of
ATARI users, most of them amateurs. Anyone can submit
their program, and if APX accepts it, the author receives a
royalty while APX takes care of the dirty work — otherwise
known as business details.

The royalty is 10% of the net amount received by APX
for the product. If the program retails for $20, and the
wholesaler pays $10, the author gets one dollar. If the pro-
gram is sold directly to the user through mail order for $20,
the author gets two dollars. Those interested in supporting
fellow users, therefore, should order by mail. But it has
been the growth of wholesale volume that has accelerated
APX sales. Mail order once accounted for all APX busi-
ness, but is now just a tenth of it, and has only grown
slightly since 1981.

Fred Thorlin, Director of APX, still encourages sub-
missions as vigorously as when he had only 31 titles to
sell. The competition is tougher now, he admits, and many
of the early programs wouldn't pass muster these days. He
won't say what the percentage of rejects is, but it is much
higher than when APX started.

APX offers a special incentive to software authors, the

June 1983

annual $25,000 Star Award for the best program of the
year. The two winners so far have been Fernando Herrera
for My First Alphabet, and David Buehler for Typo Attack.
Besides that, APX products may be adopted by Atari and
made into "mainline" Atari products. This happened to
Caverns of Mars, by Greg Christensen, and APX author-
ship is still the main portal for programmers to be hired by
Atari.

Thorlin's advice to would-be authors is: write your pro-
gram about something you know and care about (don't try
to figure out what will sell); be original (shoot-em-ups are
much too common anymore); improve your program by
testing it on your friends; and make sure the program
works before you send it in. APX staff will evaluate your
program, but won't improve it, even if it is accepted.
Improvement is always the author's responsibility.

Products are offered in cassette or diskette form, both
actually dubbed at the APX facility in Santa Clara, CA.
Cassettes, especially, are given careful treatment, each
directly recorded from an ATARI 800 rather than from an
intermediate audio master. This has made APX tapes the
most reliable in the Atari market. Cassette orders used to
dominate at APX, but have recently been surpassed by
diskettes. So far, APX produces no cartridge software.

The best-selling APX program is Eastern Front, by Chris
Crawford, a mainline ATARI programmer. The hot APX
newcomer is Mark Reid's Getaway!, for which a handsome
poster-map has been produced. The current in-house

continued on next page

INSIDE ATARI

APX continued from page 11

favorite is Galahad, a graphics adventure by Doug Crock-
ford, for which you have to make your own map.

Fred Thorlin, now Director of APX, has guided it since
its inception in February 1981, when he was Manager of
ASAP, the Atari Software Acquisition Program. His sub-
ordinate at the time. Dale Yocum, began the APX effort
with a collection of utility routines intended to help pro-
grammers create better programs. Soon APX was getting
material that could stand on its own, and now even APX
can do that. As the most profitable unit of the Home Com-
puter Division of ATARI, APX now functions as a company
within the company, with Fred as the boss.

An easygoing man, a statistician by training and a
former software manager for Texas Instruments, Fred
Thorlin seems to enjoy the spacious new quarters and
friendly crew at APX. He delights in his products, and is
quick to grab a joystick or boot up a game. He is proud that
Atari has established this way of letting its customers parti-
cipate in the glory and gelt of software publishing: "The
only company that does," he asserts.

The APX titles are all described in the catalog that APX
sends periodically to all ATARI owners who have sub-
mitted warranty cards. Catalogs are available from APX by
calling 800-538-1862 (in California dial 800-672-1850).

□

Don't forget to

RENEW!

Early subscribers

may not have been

notified that their

subscriptions have

expired. Use the

subscription insert at

page 56 to continue

receiving ANTIC.

YOUR KEY ,„ TO ATARI® 800
^^ ENJOYMENT

80 COLUMN CARD

Get
professional
80 column word processing, CP/lVl,
data managment, rennote terminal
configurations, plus many more
applications thanks to the BIT 3
FULL-VIEW 80. Clear crisp char-
acters on your CRT monitor with
full descenders are standard. And all
your current Atari 40 column and
graphics programs work: switch be-
tween normal Atari 40 column/
graphics mode and 80 column mode
either under program or keyboard
control. Just plug into slot 3, cable
up and run. Maintain 48K RAM
capacity by installing the BIT 3
32K MEMORY PLUS RAM card in
RAM slot 2.

Some word processors that
work in 80 columns on the FULL-
VIEW 80 are Letter Perfect from
LJK and Atext-1 by Elcomp Pub-
lishing. Other popular software that

runs with the FULL-VIEW 80 is
Atari's Assembler Editor, Basic Car-
tridge, Macro Assembler, and
PASCAL; Optimized System's Basic
A+, OS/A-)- and EASMD; Microsoft's
BASIC; Teletari by Don't Ask Com-
puter and T.H.E. Smart Terminal
by Binary Computer Software. More
applications are being added every
day including CP/M by Software
Publishers.

See a review of the FULL-VIEW
80 in Antic, December 1982/Janu-
ary 1983, pages 18 and 19. Other
reviews available upon request.

Full-View 80 $299.00

32K Memory Plus $80.00

OTHER FINE PRODUCTS FROM B1T3

For Apple computers: Full-View 80,
2 Serial Channel Card. For IBM PC com-
puters: Multibus Expansion; General
products: RS232 Gender Changer/Pin Re-
configurator.

CONTACT
BIT 3
OR YOUR
DEALER FOR
PURCHASE.

Bir3

COMPUTER CORPORATION

8120 Penn Avenue South

Minneapolis, Minnesota 55431

612-881-6955

VISA-M/C

ANTIC, The ATARI Resource

The Money Processor

does for your money

what the ^vord processor

does for your Ti^ords.

The Money Processor handles all your personal ac-
counts so quickly and easily it's amazing! You type on an
"electronic worksheet" on your TV screen. All totals and
subtotals are kept up to the millisecond as you type. You
spend less time adding and subtracting, so you have more
time to spend as you please.

%u can correct mistakes easily. Just type over them on
your TV screen. Everything you type stays on your screen, so
it's easy to find. Special screen control functions make it very
easy to move, copy, insert, or delete lines. Totals and subtotals
reflect all changes instantly. You avoid the frustration of cor-
recting errors with a pencil and calculator.

You get one electronic worksheet for each account —

up to 150 in all. AU of your accounts and totals are listed
together on the accounts menu. You get grand totals of all
your credit cards, checking accounts, savings accounts, cash
on hand, expense accounts, tax return items, and budget
items. You always know exactly how much money you have
and where it is.

You don't need any computer expertise. The Money
Processor is incredibly easy to use! The owner's manual gets
you started with a checklist. The program is completely au-
tomatic, with special fail-safe features to protect you from
errors. Each menu or feature is explained on one fully illus-
trated and typeset page. The reference card fits into the
keyboard, labeling all of the special function keys, so there is
nothing to memorize.

Protect yourself from fraud. Credit card and electronic
banking fraud can secretly steal money from you if you don't
verify your monthly statements. The Money Processor

Technical Notes

Hardware Required:

ATARI 800, 48K RAM
ATARI 810 Disk Drive
or Percom RFD.

Printers Supported:

ATARI 825, Epson, or any ASCII
printer attached through the ATARI
850 interface module printer port.

Features:

• 100% Machine Language program
resides in computer memory.
Program disk is not needed in disk
drive after program load.

• Powerful full screen editor with
restore line function key.

• Advanced diskette handling with:

- Data Compression

- Data Error Recovery

- Sectors allocated for minimum
arm movement.

• Up to 150 electronic worksheets.

• Up to 200 items
on each worksheet.

• Items to S999 thousand.

• Totals to S99 million.

makes it so fast and easy you'll actually enjoy verifying your
statements! You'll feel more secure knowing that j'owr com-
puter is keeping tabs on tijeir computer.

Organize your tax records. You simply put your choice of
tax return categories on the accounts menu. For each
category, you get an electronic worksheet listing all items and
their total. You can eliminate panic at tax time by adding to
these categories all year long. At the end of the year, print the
worksheet, and staple your receipts to it. Don't forget to
deduct The Money Processor (computer programs and
your computer can be tax deductible if used to help prepare
your taxes).

Isn't it time to harness the full power of your ATARI 800
to speed and simplify your personal accounts?

Aren't you ready to retire your pencil and calculator
before the next round of monthly statements?

Order The Money Processor today!

Send this coupon today for your copy oiThe Money Processor. i have an ATARI 800 with 48K and an ATARI 810 Disk
You'll receive two copies of the program disk, one keyboard | Drive. I am ready to use the fiall power of my computer
reference card, and one fully illustrated and typeset owner's ■ to speed and simplify my personal accounts. Enclosed
manual. (Don't delay. We have a limited number of packages in ■ is my personal check for S80 (plus S4.80 sales tax if I
stock. ") 1 ^'^^ '^^ California). Please mail my copy of The Money

Processor to:

Mail to: LUCK SOFTWARE Keep this halt ' N^n^e
Offer AN-002 for your records. 1

1160 Niblick Road 1 street Address

Paso Robles, CA 93446 "

City, State, Zip
Please allow 3-6 weeks for delivery. The Money Processor and Luck 1

Filling the GAP

Atari systems support clothing stores

by BRIAN LEE

While the ATARI personal computers
have not garnered much recognition as
a bonafide business tool, there are
those of us who still believe that it
offers efficient and cost effective solu-
tions in the business environment. The
Gap Stores, Inc., national retailer of
casual clothing, is one example of an
organization using ATARIs for busi-
ness applications. Their use of micro-
computers, including the ATARI 800,
has contributed to overall profitability
and productivity of the entire
company.

WHY ATARI?

When I worked at The Gap as Man-
ager of Budget and Expense Control, I
was responsible for the expense con-
trol programs of the Store Operations
division, encompassing 500 plus stores
and related overhead cost centers.
Since most of the expense tracking and
budgeting was being done manually at
the time, I sought to automate the pro-
cess as much as possible. Since I owned
an ATARI 800, I began transporting
my computer back and forth to work
every day. As the benefits offered by
the computer became evident. The
Gap boldly implemented a network of
ATARIs which now total nearly two
dozen systems.

Each work station consists of a 48K
ATARI 800, at least one ATARI 810
disk drive, an ATARI 850 interface
module, a Hitachi color television, and
an Epson MX-lOO printer. Three
major software packages are provided
for each station: The Atari Word Pro-
cessor, VisiCalc and FileManager + .
Each of the nine regional offices re-
ceived one complete system and the
rest were installed at the corporate
offices in San Bruno, California.

APPLICATIONS

Weekly sales figures, cash register
overages and shortages, and new store
opening schedules are all tabulated
using VisiCalc. The "what if features
of VisiCalc permit managers to see the
effect of varying expense structures,
product mixes, and sales promotions
on profit margins.

The word processor provides a nice
alternative to the typewriter and
decreases the time required to edit
weekly sales reports and interoffice
correspondence.

FileManager 800 -I- is used by each
regional office to maintain personnel
files for all management positions as
well as tracking of invoices and inci-
dences of theft.

In addition, special application pro-
grams were written to aid in the bud-
geting and monitoring of expenses.
One such program permitted the con-
solidation of several VisiCalc matrices
into a summary report.

Another program generated bar
graphs, pie charts, line graphs, and
scatter plots from the data entered in
the VisiCalc matrices. The graphs pro-
duced by this program were then used
for slide presentations to management.
With the sales information in the com-
puter, trends were easily determined
using the graphs and special forecast-
ing programs which I wrote. These
programs form the basis of a program
called Trend Manager due to be re-
leased through Synapse Software.

A LOOK TO THE FUTURE

Among the projects planned are a
communications link between the
regional offices and headquarters to
replace the Qwip machines currently
being used. ATARI 400's will be used
with custom designed hardware to
monitor and analyze customer traffic
patterns in an effort to match schedul-
ing to customer flow. _—

ANTIC, The ATARI Resource

/e*

GET THE INTEGF5ATER

OR DO WITHOUT TODAY'S SOFTWARE

LOWER YOUR SYSTEM COST:

The INTEGRATER allows you to start your Atari directly from the Corvus without using an
expensive Atari drive disk or unreliable cassette.

COMPATABILITY:

Use your Con/us™ or RAM DISK™ with the software you have always wanted to use, but could not

* Visicalc and other spreadsheets

* FileManager 800. Data Perfect, and other Databases

* Atari WP & Writer, Letter Perfect. Text Wizard, and other Word Processors

* The Bookeeper. Planalyzer. and other Financial Packages

* Pascal. FORTH. Microsoft BASIC

EXPAND YOUR OPTIONS:

Don't lock yourself out of the Atari software you need. Today's connnnercial software is copy
protected and cannot work with the Corvus or RAM DISK This trend is continuing, nnaking an ever-
smaller nnarket of software which can work with the RAMDISK or Corvus.

The INTEGRATER with the smallDOS Operating System solves the compatibility problem forever.
It replaces the Atari lOK-ROM board and installs easily in less than a minute. It is totally compatible
with all Atari software and hardware. A comprehensive user's manual is included.

The INTEGRATER is the only product which allows your Corvus or RAMDISK to fully use today's
wide range of Atari software.

$139 with user installation of operating system.
$189 with new operating system installed (Revision B).

Educational discounts available. Dealer Inquiries invited.

9202 Cedar Crest Drive/ Austin, Texas 78750 (512) 258-6676

Atari. Atari Writer. WP. and The Bookeeper are trademarks r

FjleManagerSOO is a trademark of Syt

Pianalyzer is a trai

Atari.lric./Corvus is a trademark of Corvus. inc./Visicatc is a trademark of Visicorp. Inc./f^ici
ipse Software./RAMDiSK is a trademark of Axlon./Letter Perfect and Data Perfect are trademai
?mark of Adams Computer Systems Inc /The Inteqrarer and smaliDOS are trademarks of AD:

nc./f^icrosoft BASIC is a tra^

STARTING LINE

LTJ U i J

/I r\ii/\

Dancin^ Man

by STEVE ENGLEHART and DAVE MENCONI

You certainly don't need to know anything about computer
science to play games on your ATARI, nor to use the many
programs already in existence — but eventually you'll want
to begin programming your computer. Perhaps there's a
special application you need (a pigeon-feeding scheduler,
for example), or you have an idea for a great video game.

To make these things happen you'll need to know how to
write your own programs. Programs are step-by-step in-
structions for the computer to follow. And if you're going
to write a program, you need a language to write it in. By
far the most common language — and probably the easiest
— is BASIC (Beginners All-purpose Symbolic Instruction
Code). ATARI BASIC comes ready-to-use inside its own
cartridge, which you insert in the computer before you
begin your programming.

This article will show you a short BASIC program that
exercises some of the graphics power of the ATARI, so even
if you've used BASIC on other machines you'll still benefit
from this example.

SIMPLE ANIMATION

The easiest way to learn anything is to play with it and have
fun. We'll start with something simple: making a little stick
figure dance around on the screen. The animation is ad-
mittedly crude, but we can work on improving it after we
understand it.

BASIC programs are written in statements. You can have
more than one statement on a line, but each line is given a
number so the computer knows the order to process them,
and can easily refer to the program's parts.

To make this little man dance, we have to define four
parts of the figure's body; the head, the shoulders, the body
and the legs. In BASIC we call each of these definitions a
string variable, and name them like this: HEADS,
SHLDRS, BODYS, and LEGS. (We could spell out
SHOULDER if we wanted to, but abbreviation saves typ-
ing.) The "$" is always used at the end of the word to indi-
cate that it is a string variable.

One thing that's not immediately evident on your com-
puter is that the "letter" keys can also be used to put

graphics characters on your screen, when the [CLTRL]
(control) key is held down. These characters, and the keys
which control them, are shown on the back cover of the
BASIC Reference Manual. See our character table (page 18,
this issue) for guidance on typing these characters.

Each of the four body parts is constructed from three
graphics characters. The head and body have only one pos-
sible shape while the legs and shoulders have four and six
different shapes respectively. To make the figure appear to
move we draw the head, a randomly selected shoulder, the
body, and a randomly selected set of legs — then clear the
screen and draw the figure again at a different place.

Be very careful about spaces inside the quotes when you
type this program. Everything else is typed just as you see it.

A detailed explanation of the program follows.
10: The REM statement is not processed by BASIC. It is
used to put REMARKS in the program that explain how
the program works, record the name of the program (as
here) or whatever else the programmer \^^nts.

Programmers often number their lines by tens or twen-
ties, so that they can insert lines later, if necessary.

20: A DIM statement tells BASIC to reserve space (a
dimension) for the string variables. We measure space in
keystrokes — that is, we use three keystrokes to make a
head, eighteen to make six different kinds of shoulders, and
so on. If we reserve more space than we need, that's fine. If
we don't reserve enough, the computer will give us an error
message.

40: The GRAPHICS statement selects the way that the pic-
ture on your screen is presented. The number that we put
after GRAPHICS determines the mode of the picture.

60: This statement makes the cursor invisible. The POKE
statement allows us to put (to POKE) a number into a par-
ticular memory address. Some addresses are located in the
computer's built-in Operating System; they have pre-set
numbers which give the computer pre-set orders, but you
can change the orders with a POKE. The first number after
the POKE is the address (in this case, 752) while the second
number is the number we want to put there (1).

ANTIC, The ATARI Resource

STARTING LINE

/\/l

80-140: These lines define the possible positions of our
dancing man. He has only one head but there are six pos-
sible shoulders and four possible legs. Note that each part
of the body — the head, the shoulders, the body, and the
legs — is three characters long. This insures that our
figure's various pieces will line up properly.

160: The numeric variable P determines how far from the
left we will draw the figure. By changing P we will make the
figure appear to move back and forth.

180: RND(O) is a standard BASIC command. It tells the
computer to pick a random number between zero and one.
We call that random number R. Then we add one to P if R
is less than .5, or subtract one from P if R is greater than .5.
In the unlikely event that R is equal to .5, we leave P alone.
As P increases and decreases, the figure moves one space to
the right or left.

200: Here we select one of the six shoulder combinations
from the string in line 100. The first shoulder group begins
with the first character and ends with the third. The second
group begins with the fourth character, the third with the
seventh character, etc. Therefore, we need to randomly
select among the numbers 1, 4, 7, 10, 13 or 16 as a starting
point for the shoulder group. To do this, we generate a ran-
dom number between zero and one, and multiply it by six.
This gives us a decimal fraction between zero and six. Then
we use another standard command, INT, which takes the
integer part of that number. This gives us a random whole
number between zero and five (do you see why it can't be
six?). We multiply this whole number by three, giving 0, 3,
6, 9, 12 or 15, and add one to get the desired number. This
whole process sets S randomly to equal 1, 4, 7, 10, 13, or
16 . That number is then used to select which of six shoulder
shapes to use.

220: In this line L is generated the same way S was, to select
one of the four leg shapes (1, 4, 7, or 10).

240: This is another standard command which clears the
screen. We ask the computer to PRINT this string so that
any figure already drawn will be erased before we draw
another one. If you removed this line you would see pieces
of the figure slowly scatter across the screen.

250: Lines 250 & 255 check to see if the image's position is
exceeding the screen bounds. If this is the case, the image is

June 1983

/vVlX

repositioned at the opposite edge to create "wrap-around"
effect.

260: Lines 260, 300, 340, and 380 position the (invisible)
cursor for the head, shoulders, body and legs, respectively.
P is the always-changing horizontal position, as determined
in line 180, while the vertical position is simply increased
by one in each of these four lines. Since P only changes by
one each time as well, all four parts move together.

280: Lines 280, 320, and 400 cause the head, shoulders,
body and legs to be put on the screen where they belong. In
the case of the shoulders, the actual shape to be used is part
of the SHLDRS beginning with that random value of S and
ending with S + 2 (the end of a three-character set: S, S -i- 1 ,
S + 2). LEGS works the same way.

420: This causes another figure to be drawn. All the steps
between this line 180 and 420 will be executed over and
over until you stop it by pressing the BREAK key.

This seems like a lot of things to take in at once, doesn't
it? But the longer you use this program, and watch your
little man dance, the more natural these concepts will
become — and the sooner you'll be able to use all of your
computer.

20 DIM HEAD$(3),SHLDR$(18),BODY$(3),LEG
$(12)

40 GRAPHICS 0

60 POKE 752, 1

80 HEAD$ = " m ••

100 SHLDR$ = "[3fflH[SttlW[ilfflH[15!HHBHH[tlH"

120 BODY$=" 1 "

140 LEG$ = "[1 C0 Ml S0 H"

160 P = 20

180 R = RND(0):P = P+(R<0.5)

-(R>0.5)

200 S=3*INT(RND(0)*6)+1

220 L=3*INT(RND(0)*4)+1

240 ? GHR$( 125)

250 IF P = 40 THEN P = 2

255 IF P<2 THEN P = 39

/^'"'^

260 POSITION P,15

280 ? HEADS

300 POSITION P,16

320 ? SHLDR$(S,S+2)

340 POSITION P, 17

360 ? BODY$

380 POSITION P,1B

400 ? LEG$(L,L+2)

420 GOTO 180

□

* * PRODUCT PREVIEW * *

NEW ATARI PRODUCT LINE

Four new computers and more than eight new

peripherals were announced by Atari at the June

Consumer Electronics Show in Chicago,

NEW COMPUTERS:

Atari's top-of-the-line home computer
is now the new 1450XLD. Selling for
less than $1000, this new computer
boasts a built-in double-sided double-
density disk drive, a built-in modem,
and a built-in voice synthesizer. The
disk drive will operate two to three
times faster than current models be-
cause it directly accesses the processor
buss. An extra bay for a second drive is
designed into the computer. Atari sur-
prised the home computer industry by
announcing this powerful machine at
such a low price.

To complement this new Atari line
are the new 1400XL, 800XL, and
600XL computers. The 600XL is
aimed at the "low end" of the market.
It will sell for less than $200 with 16K
built-in memory, expandable to 64K.
The 1400XL is essentially the same as
the 1450XLD, but lacks a built-in disk
drive.

Exceptional features are:

* Contemporary high-tech styling.

* Built-in ATARI BASIC (Rev. B).

* Voice-synthesizer (1400/1450
Models only).

* Connection of peripherals with-
out special hardware.

* Access to data buss for easy con-
nection to third-party hardware
such as expanded memory, music
synthesizers, and 80-column
cards.

Of special significance are three new
expansion units:
• A CP/M expansion unit opens the

world of CP/M business and data

management programs in either

40-or 80-column format (existing

programs only require reformat-
ting.).

• An Expander Box available for the
new computers provides eight spe-
cial plug-in slots plus two RS-232
ports and a bi-directional parallel
buss to accommodate third-party
software and peripherals.

• The ATARI 600XL, delivered with
16K, can be expanded to 64K with
a new Memory Module.

PERIPHERALS:

Compatible computer peripherals
announced at the show are headed by
the new ATARI 1027 letter-quality
printer which requires no interface and
will retail for less than $400. It is bi-
directional at 20 characters per
second.

The ATARI 1025 80-column printer
and the ATARI 40-column color plot-
ter/printer were also shown.

The 1050 Disk Drive in single-den-
sity format will be released soon with
DOS 2. OS for less than $500. DOS 3.0
will be available in September, and
provides double-density capability.

In the telecommunications area, the
new ATARI 1030 direct-connect
modem will auto-dial from the com-
puter keyboard, answer automatically,
will dial pulse or tone, and switch the
printer on and off. It is fully compati-
ble with TeleLink I and TeleLink II.

Rounding out the line are new joy-
sticks (wired and remote control),
TRAK-BALL, light pen, and a
graphics touch tablet.

ANTIC, The ATARI Resource

•«l

movement
for i
player/ missiles^

by CHRIS NICOTRA

Player /Missile graphics are among the most powerful
capabilities of the ATARI computer. Using the computer's
horizontal-position register, simple players can be quickly
moved across the screen. This means you can write impres-
sive, arcade-style games even in BASIC.

Many articles describe how the amateur programmer can
use this tool. Most of these also mention the problem of
slow vertical motion. Since the only way to move the player
up or down from BASIC is to shift the player image using
PEEKs and POKEs, the vertical motion of a player is con-
siderably slower than the horizontal motion.

One solution is an Assembly Language routine to shift
the player tables vertically one position at a time. Unfor-
tunately, this does not come close to equalling the horizon-
tal-motion capabilities of Player /Missile graphics. This
article gives you a simple Assembly Language routine that
will make vertical motion as simple and fast as horizontal
motion, and shows you how to use it from BASIC.

You will need to know the fundamentals of P/M
graphics from other sources to benefit from this article.
Since the purpose here is to show you a tool for game
writing, I will touch only briefly on the meaning of the
P/M registers.

WHAT THIS ROUTINE DOES

Once the Player /Missile routine is installed, it becomes
part of the vertical-blank service routine. Then, every 60th
of a second, the computer will erase each of the players and
missiles from, the screen and re-draw them in their new ver-
tical position. This entire process is transparent to you, the
programmer. Your only task is changing the vertical- and
horizontal-position registers; and the players and missiles
will move around the screen.

HOW TO USE IT

First, load the Player /Missile routine into memory. This is
done by calling the "load" subroutine, beginning at line
8000, as follows:

GOSUB 8000

Second, define each player's image. To do this, POKE the
desired image into the player-image table. The following
table shows the address to store each player's image:

^YER

LOCATION

1571-1580

1581-1590

1591-1600

1601-1610

These images are laid out in memory the same way the
players are in the Player /Missile table. For example, if you
want player zero to look like this:

"" * = 129 decimal

" ■•• = 129 decimal

'■ '■■'■ '■'■ = 153 decimal

= 255 decimal

= 153 decimal

= 129 decimal

'■• = 129 decimal

you could use the following code to set-up the image:

'I- i!- '!■

POKE
POKE
POKE
POKE
POKE
POKE
POKE
POKE

1571,129
1572,129
1573,153
1574,255
1575,255
1576,153
1577,129
1578,129

Next, POKE this size of the player image into the player-
size table. The following is a table of player-size locations:

PLAYER
0
1

2
3

LOCATION
1611
1612

1613
1614

Since the player used in our example contained eight bytes

continued on next page

June 1983

in the image table, POKE 7 (one less than the number of
bytes) into the player-size table for player number zero.

POKE 1611,7

Next, select the Graphics Mode to be used in the program.
Finally, activate the Player /Missile routine by calling the
Player /Missile initialization routine, beginning at Line
9000, as follows:

GOSUB 9000

At this point, the system has a set of vertical-position
registers. The location of these registers is shown in this
table:

VERTICAL POSITION REGISTER

PLAYER

LOCATION

1536

1537

1538

1539

MISSILES

LOCATION

1540

1541

1542

1543

SWITCH THE P/M ROUTINE OFF

Whenever the Graphics Mode in BASIC changes, so does
the size of the display buffer. As a result, the pointers to the
player and missile tables must be changed. Unfortunately,
while the pointers are being changed, the Player /Missile
routine is trying to use them. In other words, the Player/
Missile routine could grab a half-changed address from the
pointer table and start putting the player's image in the
wrong part of memory. This could be disastrous. The
Player /Missile routine should be turned oj^to prevent this
conflict by POKEing a 1 into location 1562. The Graphics
Mode can then be changed and the Player /Missile routine
can be re-initialized by the initialization routine. The
following instructions might be used to safely change the
Graphics Mode in a program:

POKE 1562,1
GRAPHICS 3
GOSUB 9000

Listing 1 demonstrates these routines. In this program,
the joystick moves the player, and a missile is shot by press-
ing the trigger on the joystick.

Listing 2 contains the Assembly Language listing of the
Player /Missile routine.

Program 1

1 REM LOAD THE PLAYER / MISSILE ROUTINE

2 GOSUB 8000

10 REM SET UP PLAYER ONE IMAGE
20 POKE 1571,129
30 POKE 1572, 129
40 POKE 1573, 153

100

110

120

130

140

150

160

170

180

200

210

220

230

240

900

910

920

930

1000

1005

1100

1105

1107

1110

1115

1117

1120

1130

1140

1150

1153

1154

1155

1156

1157

1160

1170

1180

1190

1194

1196

1200

1205

1207

1208

1210

1215

1216

1217

1220

1223

1224

1225

1230

1232

1234

1236

1240

1245

POKE 1574,255
POKE 1575,255
POKE 1576, 153
POKE 1577, 129
POKE 1578,129
REM NOW SET THE

PLAYER IMAGE SIZE

POKE 1611,7

REM NOW SET THE PLAYER WIDTH

POKE 53256, 1

REM SET THE GRAPHICS MODE

REM (THIS MUST BE SET BEFORE

REM THE PLAYER/ MISSILE ROUTINE

REM IS ACTIVATED)

GRAPHICS 2

REM CALL THE ROUTINE TO INITIALIZE

REM THE PLAYER / MISSILE ROUTINE

GOSUB 9000

REM NOW SET THE PLAYERS COLOR

POKE 704, 14

REM SET THE MISSILE SIZE

POKE 53260,3

REM SET MISSILE FLAG TO OFF

MFLAG = 0

REM SET THE PLAYERS HORIZONTAL

REM POSITION

POKE 53248, 50 :X = 50

REM SET THE PLAYERS VERTICAL

REM POSITION

POKE 1536,40:K=40

REM MOVE THE PLAYER UP OR

REM DOWN

IF STICK(0)=13 THEN K = K + 2

IF STICK(0)=14 THEN K=K-2

IF K = 0 THEN K = 2

IF K=128 THEN K=126

REM STORE THE PLAYERS NEW

REM VERTICAL POSITION

POKE 1536, K

REM MOVE THE PLAYER LEFT OR

REM RIGHT

IF STICK(0)=7 THEN X = X + 2

IF STICK(0)=11 THEN X = X-2

IF X>190 THEN X=190

IF X<40 THEN X=40

REM STORE THE PLAYERS NEW

REM HORIZONTAL POSITION

POKE 53248, X

REM IF A MISSILE IS ON THE

REM SCREEN THEN JUMP TO THE

REM MISSILE MOVE CODE

IF MFLAG=1 THEN GOTO 2000

REM IF THE TRIGGER IS NOT BEING

REM PUSHED THEN JUMP BACK UP

REM TO THE PLAYER MOVE CODE

IF STRIG(0)<>0 THEN GOTO 1120

REM IF THE PLAYER IS LOWER THEN

REM POSITION 120 THEN IGNORE THE

REM TRIGGER

IF K>120 THEN 1120

REM A MISSILE HAS BEEN FIRED

REM SET THE MISSILES VERTICAL

REM POSITION AND ...

MY=K+2

POKE 1540, MY

ANTIC. The ATARI Resource

1247
1250
1252
1254
1260
1272
1275
1280
2000
2001
2002
2003
2005
2006
2007
2010

2015
2016
2020
2025
2026
2030

8010
8020
8030
8040
8050
8060
8100
8110
8120
8130
8140
8150
8160
8170
8180
8190
8200
8210
8220
8230
8240
8250
8260
8270
8280
8290
8300
8310
8320
8330
8340
8350
8360
8370
8380
8390
8400
8410
8420
8430

REM SET THE MISSILE FLAG AND...
MFLAG=1

REM ...AND SET THE MISSILES
REM HORIZONTAL POSITION AND...
POKE 53252, X+6

REM ...THEN JUMP BACK TO THE
REM PLAYER MOVE CODE
GOTO 1120

REM THIS IS THE MISSILE MOVE
REM CODE

REM INCREMENT THE MISSILES
REM VERTICAL POSITION
MY=MY+4

REM IF THE MISSILE WOULD BE OFF
REM THE SCREEN TURN IT OFF
IF MY>128 THEN POKE 53252 , 0 : MFLAG =
POKE 1540,0: GOTO 1120
REM SAVE THE NEW MISSILE
REM LOCATION
POKE 1540, MY

REM JUMP BACK TO THE PLAYER
REM MOVE CODE
GOTO 1120
REM ROUTINE TO
REM HANDLER
FOR 1=0 TO 234
READ J

POKE 1536+1, J
NEXT I

LOAD THE P/M

RETURN
DATA 0
DATA 0
DATA 0
DATA 0
DATA 0
DATA 0
DATA 6
DATA 0
DATA 0
DATA 0
DATA 0
DATA 0
DATA 0
DATA 0
DATA 0
DATA 0
DATA
DATA
DATA
DATA
DATA
DATA
DATA
DATA
DATA
DATA
DATA
DATA
DATA
DATA

162

0,0

35,6,45
55 , 6 , 65 , 6
0,0,0,0

0,0

0,104
160,90, 169
7,32,92,228,96
173,26,6,208,6
32, 187,6,32,104
6,76,98,228, 169
3, 133,203, 166,203
189,0,6, 133,205
188,8,6, 157,8
6, 189,75,6,133
204, 138, 10,170, 189
16,6, 133,206, 189
17,6, 133,207, 189
27,6, 133,208, 189
28,6, 133,209, 166
DATA 204, 169,0, 145,206
DATA 136,192,255,240,3
DATA 202, 16,246,164,204
DATA 177,208,164,205,145

8440
8450
8460
8470
8480
8490
8500
8510
8520
8530
8540
8550
8560
8700
9000

9005
9006
9020
9030
9035
9036
9040
9045
9046
9050
9060
9070
9100
9110
9120
9130
9140
9150
9160
9170
9180
9190
9200
9210
9220
9230
9240
9250
9260
9270
9280
9290
9300
9400
9410

9420
9430
9440
9450
9480
9580
9590
9600

DATA 206,136,132,205,192
DATA 255,240,4, 198,204
16,237, 198,203, 16
178,96, 162,3, 173
24,6, 133,206, 173
25,6, 133,207, 188
12,6,189,231,6
49,206, 145,206, 188
4,6, 189,227,6
17,206,145,206,152
157, 12,6,202, 16
229,96,2,12,32
192,252,242,207,47

DATA

RETURN

REM P/M INITIALIZATION

ROUTINE

REM INITIALIZE THE PMBASE

REM REGISTER

I=PEEK(106)-8

POKE 54279,1

REM INDICATE DOUBLE LINE

REM RESOLUTION

POKE 559,46

REM TURN ON BOTH THE PLAYERS

REM AND THE MISSILES

POKE 53277,3

REM SETUP A TABLE OF PLAYER

REM AND MISSILE ADDRESS

PMBASE= 1*256

MISSILE = PMBASE+384

J = INT(MISSILE/256)

POKE 1560,(MISSILE-J*256)

POKE 1561, J

PLAYER0=PMBASE + 512

J=INT(PLAYER0/256)

POKE 1552,(PLAYER0-J*256)

POKE 1553, J

PLAYER1=PMBASE+640

J = INT(PLAYER1 7 256)

POKE 1554,(PLAYER1-J*256)

POKE 1555, J

PLAYER2 = PMBASE+768

J=INT(PLAYER2/256)

POKE 1556,(PLAYER2-J*256)

POKE 1557, J

PLAYER3=PMBASE+896

J=INT(PLAYER3/256)

POKE 1558,(PLAYER3-J*256)

POKE 1559, J

REM

REM NOW CLEAR THE PLAYER / MISSILE A

REA

FOR J = PMBASE TO PMBASE+1024

POKE J,0

NEXT J

REM

REM START VERTICAL ROUTINE

A = USR(1615)

RETURN

continued on next page

June 1983

TYPO TABLE

Variable

checl<sum

= 368582

Line num range

Code

Lengtin

- 100

284

110

- 230

307

240

- 1115

295

1117

- 1170

321

1180

- 1217

318

1220

- 1250

300

1252

- 2006

290

2007

- 8030

285

8040

- 8180

169

8190

- 8300

211

8310

- 8420

265

8430

- 8540

270

8550

- 9045

257

9046

- 9170

257

9180

- 9290

237

9300

- 9600

167

Program 2

;SET VERTICAL BLANK VECTOR
SETVBV EQU $E45C

; VERTICAL BLANK EXIT VECTOR
XITVBV EQU $E462

ORG

VAR1

VAR2

VAR3

ADD1

ADD2

ORG $600

PVERT DB
MVERT DB 0,0,0,0

POLDVERT DB
MOLDVERT DB

' ) ^ J *-' J '

• ^ \J J HJ ^ ■

' , Y^ , YV , '

PLAYER TABLE ADDRESS TABLE
PLAYER

DB 0,0
DB 0,0
DB 0,0
DB 0,0

; MISSILE TABLE ADDRESS TABLE
MISSILE

DB 0,0

; ON /OFF SWITCH

SWITCH DB 0

■PLAYER IMAGE ADDRESS TABLE
IMAGE

DW IMAGE0

DW IMAGE1

DW IMAGE2

DW IMAGE3

IMAGE DEFINITION TABLE

IMAGES
IMAGE0 DB

DB
IMAGE1 DB

DB
IMAGE2 DB

DB
IMAGE3 DB

0,0,0,0,0

,0,0,0,0

0,0,0,0,0

,0,0,0,0

0,0,0,0,0

,0,0,0,0

0,0,0,0,0

; PLAYER SIZE TABLE
PSIZE DB 0,0,0,0

ZERO PAGE REGISTERS VARIABLES

INITIALIZE THE PM ROUTINE

THIS IS THE BASIC ENTRY POINT
PLA

SETUP THE VERTICAL BLANK INTERUPT
JUMP VECTOR

LDX #HIGH VB

#LOW VB
#7
SETVBV

LDY
LDA
JSR
RTS

PROGRAM STORAGE LOCATIONS

VB1

VERTICAL BLANK ROUTINE ( PM ;

LDA SWITCH ; CHECK IF THE SWITC
H IS ON

BNE VB1 ;IF NOT THEN JUST RET
URN

JSR MPLOT iCALL THE MISSILE PL
OT ROUTINE

JSR PPLOT iCALL THE PLAYER PLC
T ROUTINE
JMP XITVBV

THIS IS THE ROUTINE TO PLOT THE
PLAYERS
PPLOT:

LDA #3

COUNT

STA VAR1

VAR1
PPLOT0:

LDX VAR1

PLAYER NUMBER

LDA PVERT, X

;SET THE PLAYER
; AND SAVE IT IN

;GET THE CURRENT
;GET THE NEW Y

ANTIC, The ATARI Resource

; AND SAVE IT IN

MPLOT0

COOR

STA VAR3

VAR3

LDY POLDVERT.X ;GET THE OLD Y

COOR

STA POLDVERT.X ; STORE THE NEW

Y COOR AS THE OLD
LDA PSIZE.X ;GET THE SIZE OF PPL0T3

THE CURRENT PLAYER

STA VAR2 ; AND STORE IT I

N VAR2

TXA ; MULTIPLY THE PLA

YER NUMBER

ASL A ; BY 2

TAX

LDA PLAYER, X ; MOVE THE ADDRE ;

SS OF THE PLAYER ;

STA ADD1 ; TO THE TEMPOR MPLOT

ARY REGISTER (ADD1 )
LDA PLAYER+1,X

STA ADD1+1

LDA IMAGE, X ; MOVE THE ADDR

ESS OF THE IMAGE

STA ADD2 ; TO THE TEMPORA

RY REGISTER (ADD2)
LDA IMAGE+1,X

STA ADD2+1

THIS SECTION OF CODE IS USED
TO ERASE THE PLAYER FROM HIS
OLD POSITION

LDX VAR2 ;LOAD X WITH THE

SIZE OF THE PLAYER
LDA #0

PPL0T1

STA (ADD1),Y ; STORE ZERO

DEY ; DECREMENT THE BY

TE POSITION COUNTER

CPY #$FF

BEQ PPL0T2 ; IF EQUAL WE'VE

HIT THE TOP OF THE PLAYER

DEX ; DECREMENT THE SI

ZE COUNTER

BPL PPL0T1 ; IF STILL POSITIV

E ZERO THE NEXT BYTE

THIS PART OF THE CODE IS USED TO
PLOT THE PLAYER 'N HIS NEW LOCATION
PPL0T2

LDY VAR2 ;GET THE IMAGE OFF

SET

LDA (ADD2),Y ;GET THE NEXT IM

AGE BYTE

LDY VAR3 ;GET THE PLAYER TA

BLE OFFSET

STA (ADD1),Y ;PUT THE IMAGE

BYTE IN THE PLAYER TABLE

DEY ; DECREMENT THE PL

AYER TABLE OFFSET

STY VAR3 ; STORE THE NEW PL

AYER TABLE OFFSET

CPY #$FF ;IF THE NEXT BYTE

WOULD BE OFF THE END START

;0F THE PLAYER THEN

EXIT THE PLOT LOOP

BEQ PPL0T3

DEC VAR2 ; DECREMENT THE IM

AGE OFFSET

BPL PPL0T2 ;IF WE HAVE NOT R

EACHED THE END THEN

;LOOP AGAIN TO PLC
T ANOTHER IMAGE BYTE

DEC VAR1 ; DECREMENT THE PL

AYER COUNT

BPL PPLOT0 ; IF THERE IS STILL

ANOTHER PLAYER THEN

;LOOP AGAIN TO PLC
T THE NEXT PLAYER
RTS

LDX #3 ;LOAD X WITH THE

MISSILE COUNT

LDA MISSILE ; PLACE THE ADDRE

SS OF THE MISSILE TABLE

;IN THE TEMPORARY
ADDRESS REGISTER
STA ADD1

LDA MISSILE+1

STA ADD1~M

)

LDY MOLDVERT,X ;GET THE OLD MI

SSILE LOCATION

LDA OFFTABLE,X ;TURN THE OLD I

MAGE OFF
AND (ADD1),Y

STA (ADD1),Y

LDY MVERT.X ;GET THE NEW MI

SSILE LOCATION

LDA ONTABLE.X ;TURN THE NEW

MISSILE IMAGE ON
ORA (ADD1),Y

STA (ADD1),Y

TYA ;MOVE THE NEW LOC

ATION TO THE OLD

; MISSILE LOCATION
TABLE FOR NEXT TIME
STA MOLDVERT,X

DEX ; DECREMENT THE MI

SSILE COUNTER

BPL MPLOT0 ;IF THERE IS STIL

L ANOTHER MISSILE

;THEN LOOP TO PLOT
THE NEXT MISSILE
RTS

ONTABLE DB $02 , $0C , $20 , $C0

OFFTABLE DB $FC , $F2 , $CF, $2F

DUMMY ROUTINE

ignore;

JMP ($0A)

END START

□

June 1983

interrupting

by MARIAN LORENZ and ALLAN MOOSE

The Display List Interrupt (DLI) is a capability built into
the ATARI that will help you create some of the spectacular
graphics effects for which it is famous. DLIs are machine
language subroutines that can be called from BASIC.
Learning to use DLIs also serves as a gentle introduction to
Assembly Language programming. This article describes
DLI routines that put more color onto the screen.

In order to understand what a DLI does, it is necessary to
know how the ATARI handles screen displays. Unlike other
microcomputers, the ATARI uses several microprocessors.
One is the Central Processor Unit (CPU), the 6502, which
is primarily responsible for implementing programs and
performing computations. Another is ANTIC, the micro-
processor that controls the screen display. The program for
ANTIC is called a Display List. A Display List is either
invoked by a BASIC Graphics command or can be defined
by the programmer. The Display List tells ANTIC where
screen data is located, which display model to use, and
whether special display options are to be implemented.

A Display List Interrupt is exactly what the name implies

— an interrupt instruction put into a Display List. It is an
instruction to ANTIC to interrupt the CPU's normal pro-
gram. Once stopped by ANTIC, the CPU will carry out
your DLI service routine and then return to its normal busi-
ness. This option is available in any of the ANTIC charac-
ter, graphic or blank mode lines and may be used along
with Player /Missile graphics, character sets or color. With
a DLI you can make changes in the screen image at precisely
timed intervals.

To understand this article better, type in Program 1 and
run it. We used a DLI to change the background color in
Graphics 0 from blue to yellow, half-way down the screen.
This simple example illustrates one application of the DLI

— using the sequential nature of the TV image. You can
divide the screen into sections, each with its own set of

Allan Moose is an associate professor {math / physics) at
Southampton College, New York. Marian Lorenz is a
special education teacher for handicapped children.

colors, and thereby increase the number of available colors
in each Graphics Mode.

Program 1

5 ? CHR$(125):GRAPHICS 0
10 DL=PEEK(560)+PEEK(561 )*256:POKE DL+16,

130
20 FOR J = 0 TO 10: READ B:POKE 1536 + J,B:NEX

T J
25 DATA 72,169,42,141,10,212,141,24,208,104

,64
30 POKE 512,0:POKE 513,6
35 POKE 54286,192
40 GOTO 40

The steps for composing a DLI routine in BASIC are:

(1) Plan your display.

(2) Insert the interrupt instruction into the Display List.

(3) Write the DLI service routine.

(4) Put in the instructions that will allow the routine to
be carried out.

Now examine Program 1 in detail. The change in the
display (step 1) is simple — we will alter the background
color of a Graphics 0 display half-way down the screen. To
better understand step 2, refer to Table 1, which is a
Graphics 0 Display List. There are 24 Graphics 0 mode line
instructions: byte 3 (which is also a load memory scan
instruction), and bytes 6 through 28. (For more informa-
tion on Display Lists, see our article in ANTIC #6). We will
put our DLI instruction at byte 16, the twelfth Graphics 0
mode line. The interrupt instruction is the ANTIC mode
number plus 128. The color change will occur at the next
mode line. This is a general rule — the change you are mak-
ing will occur at the mode line following the DLI instruc-
tion. Thus, line 5 of Program 1 clears the screen and calls
for a Graphics 0 display. Line 10 finds the starting address
of the Display List and then POKEs the value 130 into the
proper memory location.

We are now ready to write the service routine (step 3).
Before we get into the details of 6502 registers and instruc-

continned on page 26

ANTIC, The ATARI Resource

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START INTERRUPTING continued from page 24

tions it is important to note that a Display List service sub-
routine for the CPU must be short. The reason is that the
data for the color changes must be put in place during the
horizontal blank. The horizontal blank is the time that the
electron beam is turned off as it returns from the right side
to the left side of the TV screen. In this relatively short
interval, there is just enough time to make three color
changes. In this program we make one color change. In
Program 2 we illustrate how to make three color changes.

Recall that the function of the 6502 is to manipulate data
in the form of 8-bit bytes. Three registers are used to hold
this data: the accumulator, the X-register, and the
Y-register. The accumulator is the primary register, because
it has the greatest variety of commands available for data
manipulation. The instructions to the accumulator, and the
X and Y registers are also 8-bit binary numbers. As an
example, 10101001 is the instruction to load the accumu-
lator with the number immediately following. Since people
have trouble remembering long binary numbers, instruc-
tions are given three-letter codes called mnemonics. For
instance, the mnemonic for "load the accumulator" is LDA.
When you write a program using mnemonics, it is called
Assembly Language programming.

The nice part about learning the rudiments of Assembly
Language programming through DLIs is that you need only
to concern yourself with a simple form of addressing called
the immediate mode.

In immediate mode, the mnemonic always precedes its
data. Table 2 gives a Hst of Assembly Language commands
useful in writing DLI routines and their corresponding
numerical codes.

The following is the procedure for constructing the DLI
routine used in Program 1:

STEPl

Save the value that is in the accumulator. This value must
be saved because it is part of the program that the CPU was
executing before the interrupt. The place to store this value
is the stack. The stack is a special area of memory that
operates on a last-in-first-out basis. The mnemonic PHA
stores the contents of the accumulator on the stack.

STEPl

Load the accumulator with the numeric value correspond-
ing to the color yellow. The command to do this is LDA
followed by 42 (decimal).

STEP 3

Tell the 6502 to wait for the horizontal blank. This insures
that the color change starts at the left side of the screen and
will be clear and sharp. The command to do this is STA
WSYNC. WSYNC stands for the address 54282. This
address must be presented to the CPU in two bytes. The
first byte is called the low byte and is the remainder (not
quotient) of the address divided by 256. The high byte is
the quotient. For example, the LO-byte Hl-byte form of
WSYNC is 10, 212.

STEP 4

Take the color value (42), still in the accumulator, and store
it in the GTIA register at memory location 53272. The
instruction for this is STA 24, 208. (24 = LO-Byte; 208 =
HLByte of 53272).

STEPS

Recall the original accumulator contents from the stack.
This command is PLA.

STEP 6

Return from the interrupt routine. The command is RTI.

In Assembly Language Since our BASIC program

mnemonics this program can't understand

can be written compactly mnemonics they must be

as: translated into decimal:

PHA 72

LDA 169,42

STA WSYNC 141,10,212

STAADDR 141,24,208

PLA 104

RTI 64

The decimal values of the Assembly Language program are
put into the BASIC program as DATA in line 25. The pre-
vious line, line 20, writes this subroutine at the start of Page
Six, i.e. memory location 1536 and following.

TABLE /

GRAPHICS 0 DISPLAY LIST-48K SYSTEM

BYTE
ADDRESS

NUMBER

VALUE

39968

39969

39970

.... 0 ...
.... 1 ...

.... 2 ...

..112 .
..112 .
..112 .

.^24 blank scan lines.

39971

.... 3 ...

.. 66 .

. Load Memory Scan, first
mode line

39972

39973

.... 4 ...
.... 5 ...

.. 64 .
.. 156 .

.Screen Memory
.Address

39974

39975

.... 6 ...
.... 7 ...

.. 2 .
... 2 .

■\

•

39982

39983

39984

39985

39986

.... 14 ...
.... 15 ...
. . .. 16 . . .
. . . . 17 . . .
.... 18 ...

.. 2 .

2 .

... 2 .

. [instructions for 23 Mode
■ Lines of Graphics 0.

•

39996

39997

39998

39999

. . . . 28 . . .

. . . . 29 . . .
. . . . 30 . . .
.... 3 1 ...

.. 2 .
. . . 65 .
. .. 32 .
...156 .

■ 1

. JV&
. LO-Byte
. Hl-Byte

ANTIC, The ATARI Resource

Finally, in order for the DLI routine to be executed, we
must do two things. We must store the starting address
(1536) of the DLI routine for the CPU in memory locations
512 (LO-Byte) and 513 (HI-Byte). Then the Display List
Interrupt must be "enabled". Line 30 takes care of the first
task. Line 35 takes care of the second. It is important to
know that when ANTIC encounters a DLI instruction in
the Display List, it will check to see if the enabling value
192 has been stored at 54286. If not, the DLI instruction
will be ignored. Furthermore, in the BASIC program, the
enabling instruction POKE 54286,192 must come after the
DLI routine is read into memory. Otherwise your program
will crash.

Since we are using Display List Interrupts to make color
changes, a little color information might be helpful. The
ATARI has two sets of color registers: the hardware
registers and their corresponding shadow registers. We
have listed the registers and their addresses in Table 3. The
hardware registers are used by GTIA to determine the
colors to be put on the screen. During the vertical blank the
OS reads the values in each shadow register and writes
them into the appropriate hardware register. Now you can
see why Program 1 splits the screen into two colors. We
changed the hardware register from blue to yellow with the
DLI. However, the value in the shadow register is still blue,
so during the vertical blank the OS changes the color value
of the hardware register back to blue.

Program 1 makes a single color change at a single loca-
tion on the screen. There are two good ways to build on
this simple program. One way is to cause up to three color
changes in one interrupt routine. A second way is to use
multiple DLI routines. Program 2 illustrates how to make
three color changes with one interrupt routine by using the
accumulator, the X-register, and the Y-register. In this pro-
gram we change the foreground, background, and border
colors half-way down the screen.

The Assembly Language program to accomplish these
changes is:

STEP I: Save the accumulator, the X-register and the Y-
register onto the stack.

MNEMONIC DECIMAL VALUE FUNCTION

PHA.
TXA.

PHA.

TYA.

PHA.

72 save accumulator

138 transfer X to

accumulator

72 save accumulator

152 transfer Y to

accumulator
72 save accumulator

STEP II: load register.

LDA 169, 42 load accumulator

with yellow

LDX 162,192 load X with dark

green

LDY 160, 92 load Y with pink

STEP III: Wait for horizontal blank. Store colors.

STA WYSNC 141,10,212 .... wait for

horizontal blank

STA COLORl 141,24,208 .... yellow to back-
ground register

STX COLOR2 142,23,208 .... dark green to

foreground

STY COLOR3 140,26,208 .... pink to border

STEP IV: Restore the accumulator, X and Y registers.

PLA.

TAY.
PLA.
TAX.
PLA.

104 recall top value

on stack into
accumulator

168 transfer it to Y

104 recall next value

on stack

170 transfer it to X

104 recall original

accumulator value

STEP V: Return from interrupt.

RTI 64 return

As in Program 1 , the decimal code corresponding to this
routine is entered in the program as DATA (lines 25 and 30)
and is written into Page Six by line 20.

Programs 1 and 2 are simple examples that show how to
set up DLI routines. Program 3 illustrates using a DLI
routine in conjunction with a custom display list. This pro-
gram sets up two sections of text (OR. 2, OR. 1) and draws
a daisy in the Graphics 8 portion of the screen. After the
display has been drawn, a DLI routine changes the colors of
the display. There is a short pause for you to view the screen
in its new colors. Then in line 350 the DLI is disabled by
POKEing in 54286,64. We beheve that this little program is
an indication of the many possibilities awaiting you in
using Display List Interrupts.

Program 2

5 GRAPHICS 0

DL= PEEK (560)+ PEEK (561 )*256:POKE DL+16,

130

FOR J=0 TO 28: READ B : POKE 1536+J , B : NEXT

DATA 72, 138,72, 152,72, 169,42, 162, 192, 160,

92,141,10,212,141,24,208

DATA 142,23,208, 140,26,208, 104, 168, 104, 1

70, 104,64

POKE 512,0:POKE 513,6

POKE 54286,192

POKE 752,1: REM TURN OFF CURSOR

POSITION 6,11:? #6;

"DISPLAY LIST INTERRUPT"

POSITION 5,12:? #6;"WITH THREE COLOR C

MANGES"

POSITION 0,0: POKE 752 , 0 : REM RESTORE CU

RSOR

continued on next page

35
40
45
50

June 1983

Program 3

5 ? CHR$( 125): POKE 752,1 170

:REM CLEAR SCREEN, TURN OFF CURSOR 180

10 REM SET UP CUSTOM DISPLAY LIST 190

15 GRAPHICS 8+16:SETCOLOR 2,0,0 200

20 DL=PEEK(560)+PEEK(561)*256+4 210

30 POKE DL-1,71 220

40 POKE DL+2,7+128:REM PUT IN DLI INSTRU 230

CTION 240

50 FOR 1=0 TO 3:P0KE DL+132 + I ,6 : NEXT I 250

60 POKE DL+136,65 260

70 POKE DL+ 137, PEEK (560): POKE DL+138,PEE 265

K(561) 270

80 POKE 87,2

90 POSITION 4,0:? #6; "DISPLAY LIST" 280
100 POKE 87,8

110 TPSCRN = PEEK(88)+PEEK(89)*256 290
120 TPSCRN=TPSCRN+41

130 POKE 88,TPSCRN-(INT(TPSCRN/256)*256) 300

140 POKE 89,INT(TPSCRN/256) 330

145 REM DRAW DAISY 340

150 COLOR 1:F0R T = 0 TO 360 STEP 3 350

160 W=T/ 57.26 360

R = 30*SIN(6*W)

X=INT{R*COS(W))

Y=INT(R*SIN(W))

IF T=0 THEN PLOT 160 + X,64-Y

DRAWTO 160 + X,64-Y:NEXT T

POKE 87,1

TPSCRN=TPSCRN+5121

POKE 88 , TPSCRN- ( INT ( TPSCRN / 256 ) *256 )

POKE 89,INT(TPSCRN/256)

POSITION 3,2:? #6; " INTERRUPTS"

REM DISPLAY LIST INTERRUPT ROUTINE

FOR J=0 TO 28: READ B : POKE 1536+J,B:NE

XT J

DATA 72 , 138 , 72 , 152 , 72 , 169 , 80 , 162 , 152 , 16

0,88, 141 , 10,212, 141 ,23,208

DATA 142,22,208,140,24,208, 104, 168, 104,

170, 104,64

POKE 512,0:POKE 513,6

POKE 54286, 192

FOR DELAY=0 TO 500: NEXT DELAY

POKE 54286,64

GOTO 360

TABLE 2

ASSEMBLY LANGUAGE FOR DISPLAY LIST INTERRUPTS

MNEMONIC

PHA

TXA

TYA

LDA

LDX

LDY

STA

SIX

STY

TAX

TAY

PLA

RTI

NUMBER CODE
DECIMAL HEX

FUNCTION

,48 Push value in accumulator to the stack.

, 8A Transfer X-register to accumulator

.98 Transfer Y-register to accumulator

, A9 Load accumulator with r\umber following this code,

, A2 Load X-register

. AO Load Y-register

142
140
170
168
104
64

. 8E Store value in X-register

. 8C Store value in Y-register

. AA Transfer accumulator to X-register

. A8 Transfer accumulator to Y-register

.68 Load value on top of stack into accumulator.

.40 Return from interrupt.

Special Command:

STAWSYNC 141,10,212

This command tells the CPU to wait to do the
instructions following it during the horizontal blank

TABLE 3

COLOR LOCATIONS

NAME

SHADOW ADDRESS

DECIMAL

HARDWARE ADDRESS
LOW-BYTE

Player 0 704 53266 18

Player 1 705 53267 19

Player 2 706 53268 20

Player 3 707 53269 21

Color Reg. 0 708 53270 22

Color Reg. 1 709 53271 23

Color Reg. 2 710 53272 24

Color Reg. 3 711 53273 25

Color Reg. 4 712 53274 26

HIGH-BYTE

.... 208
.... 208
.... 208
.... 208
.... 208
.... 208
.... 208
.... 208
.... 208

□

ANTIC, The ATARI Resource

ATARI SINGS YOUR FAVORITE SONGS!!!

THE Original VOICE BOX Speech Synthesizer by the ALIEN GROUP has received rave reviews:

MICRO COMPUTING— "The VOICE BOX injects an endearing personality to your computer. The possibilities are enormous."

COMPUTE-"The VOICE BOX offers more human-like tones and does not blank out the screen."

CREATIVE COMPUTING-"English text and phonetic code may be

freely intermixed rather than requiring separate modes as is the case

v^ithout exception with every other speech system. A mode called

talking face displays an animated face with impressive lip sync

animation." ^

ANTIC-"There is a great potential for teaching children to spell and

an added dimension to games overall. I believe the VOICE BOX is

well worth the price tag."

ANALOG-"For ATARI owners who want to add speech to their

programs, the Alien Group VOICE BOX is probably the best i

choice."

POPULAR SCIENCE-"The speech quality is excellent. Besides 1 j,

creating speech, the software has a bit of fun with graphics." 1 i.-

and on the new VOICE BOX II

TIME MAGAZINE-"Machine of the Year" "The VOICE BOX by the
Alien Group enables an ATARI to say aloud anything typed on its
keyboard in any language. It also sings "Amazing Grace" and
"When I'm 64" or anything else that anyone wants to teach it.

INCORPORATE THE SINGING HUAAAN FACE
INTO YOUR PROGRAMS AND GAMES

VOICE BOX II

Speech & Singing Synthesizer

To order by mall send a check or money order to the ALIEN GROUP
for $169. Then, try the VOICE BOX II for 10 days, and if if isn't the finest
value you've ever seen in 6 computer peripheral, the most chollenging and
provocative addition you've ever made to your system, return it in its original
condition for a full refund.

THE ALIEN GROUP

27 West 23rd Street (212) 741-1770

New York, NY 10010

The New VOICE BOX II for ATARI plugs into the serial port of the ATARI
400/800 with sound coming out of the TV/monitor. 48K DISK is re-
quired. It has all of the features of the original VOICE BOX plus many
exciting new hardware and software features:

• The ability to sing with voice and 3 part music.

• A library of 30 famous songs.

• A comprehensive music system that a I lows the user to easi ly enter or
modify new songs.

• Software that can convert the bottom two rows of the ATARI keyboard
into o piano with a range of 3'/2 octaves using the shift and control
keys.

• Programmable musical sound effects such as tremolo, vibrato, glls-
sando and click track.

• A singing human face with lip-sync animation designed by Jerry
White.

• A talking orsingingAUEN face with software that a I lows the user to
change the face and 8 mouth patterns as he sees fit.

• The ability to speak with inflection and feeling.

• Can speak in a foreign language with correct foreign spelling as
input.

• A talk and spell program by Ron Kramer. Users can program any
vocabulary for this spelling game. In fact, this program can even
speak in a foreign language like French, where the user must spell
the correct word in English, or vice versa.

• GREEN GOBLINS-A talking arcade game by John Wilson.

• Random Sentence Generotor-An amusing grammar gome that
helps teach school children to identify parts of speech and recognize
a variety of sentence structures.

• NUMBER SPEAK-A subroutine by Scott Matthews that converts up to
a 9 digit number into normal English pronunciation. Ideal for build-
ing your own math games.

• STUD POKER-A talking poker game by Jerry White.

• The screen never blanks out while talking or singing.

• Singing or speaking subroutines can be incorporated into your
programs, requiring as little as 100 bytes of RAM plus 5 bytes for
each word.

• Entries into the $5000 talking or singing game contest can be
written using the VOICE BOX ll-send for contest information.

• Price $169.00 includes VOICE BOX II and all of the above software.

• Inquire about our discounts for educational institutions.

ALSO AVAILABLE AT LEADING COMPUTER STORES THROUGHOUT THE WORLD.

Atari is a registered trademark of Warner Communications.

ASSEMBLY LANGUAGE

AUfOBOOT
FOR BASIC

Load-and-go cassettes or disks

by ERIC VERHEIDEN

These programs show you how to turn
your tokenized (SAVE'd) ATARI
BASIC program into an autobooting
cassette or disk. The program will
load-and-go automatically, just like
machine language programs. You will
require the ATARI BASIC and Assem-
bler Editor cartridges along with your
disk drive or cassette recorder.

The system works by loading the
BASIC token file to a suitable address
with a program used with the Assem-
bler Editor cartridge, and inserting a
short header program in front of the
token file. This, upon loading, sets up
the pointers required by BASIC and
then jumps into the BASIC cartridge at
the address of the RUN routine. A
suitable return address is provided by
pushing values onto the stack. A third
program is then used to dump the
header and token files onto cassette or
non-DOS disk.

The program relies upon the ATARI
BASIC structure of variable subroutine
calls that are based on command token
value (for a discussion of the structure
of ATARI BASIC, see De Re ATARI).
The subroutine addresses (-1) for
operator tokens are stored in a table
starting at address SAAOO in MSB,
LSB format. After the RUN command,
most Page Zero values used by BASIC
are reinitialized. Some significant
exceptions are the BASIC pointers
(stored from $80 to $91), the break
key flag (set at $11) and the spacing for
a ',' in a BASIC PRINT statement

(stored at $C9). These values are all
set by the header program before
jumping into the BASIC cartridge. The
program itself resides in the tokenizing
area set aside by BASIC and is over-
written after execution.

This system is somewhat different
from other load-and-go systems in that
it does not use handlers and separate
header or AUTORUN.SYS files to
boot the program. As such, the
loading is faster (particularly for disk)
and it allows the convenience of deal-
ing with a single monolithic file. For
disk programs, there is 5K additional
memory space because DOS is not
used.

The load /dump routines are some-
what unpolished, but have the advan-
tage of fitting into a single page of
memory. To load a DOS or cassette
BASIC file, first boot up the Assembler
Editor cartridge (with DOS, if appli-
cable). The load /dump routine may
now be LOADed (from disk) or
ENTERed, as applicable. See your
Assembler Editor manual for details.
Note that the PST value is arbitrary, it
must in any case be located beyond the
source text file, if any (allow a mini-
mum of $200 bytes from LOMEM in
any event). After the routine is
LOADed into memory at Page Six (or
before the source is assembled), the
name of the file to be loaded must be
assembled into location $670. If the
program is left as listed, loading will
take place off cassette.

To overwrite the "C:" filename,
assemble a short program of the form:

1000 '■■= $670

1010 .BYTE "D:MYPGM.BAS",$9B

1020 .END

Next, LOAD or ENTER the header
program and assemble, if appropriate.
If you are ENTERing a new program,
be sure to type NEW first. PST should
match for the load /dump routine and
the header routine.

Now you are ready to load the
BASIC file. This is accomplished by
setting up the appropriate disk or tape
and typing in:

BUG
G6E0

Finally, you are ready to write the
program out to a boot disk or tape. If
writing to cassette, erasing is suggested
before writing. Also, the loader pro-
gram must be reset (to "C:",$9B) at
location $670 if the BASIC program
was loaded from a disk file. Type in:

G680

For disk, make sure the disk in drive
1 has no useful files (like your BASIC
source, for instance). To format the
disk before writing, use:

G600

To write without formatting, use:

G617

continued on page 34

ANTIC, The ATARI Resource

D Copyright, CompuClub 1 983. All righls reserved.

Atari is a n'i>i$k'red triidemark of Warner Com}mink(itions, Inc.

THE GREATEST
ATARIGAME
OFALLUME

Object: Capture more programs than

from any other source.
Score: The best prices for programs win.

ctua/f/, e\/ery member of
CompuClub is a winner, because
no one pays lower prices for
Atari® programs tlian our members.

And no other source offers as many
programs, with a descriptive catalog cov-
ering every piece of software we offer!
CompuClub has hundreds of Atari®
programs: games, education and busi-
ness. It's an astonishing selection, but just
as incredible are our paces and our
catalog.

Prices always at least
25% below retail

Fact is, usually our prices on selected
programs are even lower than that. And
we're always running sales with savings of
at least 50% from the list price on some
of your favorite programs.

And there are several ways to pay:
MasterCard, Visa, or the ever popular
check or money order

Annotated catalog,
updated every 45 days

We don't like to knock the competi-
tion, even by implication, but there are
defnite advantages to a CompuClub
membership. One of the best of them is
our catalog, which not only offers an
unbelievable number of programs, but
includes a description of each and every
one of them.

In fact, the catalog is so big and filled
with so much information that we print a
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so many programs that we have to
update the catalog nine times a year dur-
ing the course of your membership.

Think of it! No more wondering what's
behind the fancy label, no more shooting
in the dark or depending on the word of
a clerk who may not be familiar with the
program you're interested in.

Exclusivity for Atarf^ owners

We're not trying to be all things to all
people. We are defnitely the best thing
since the floppy disk for Atari® owners,
and only Atari® owners CompuClub is
very exclusive.

Our catalog is thick with hundreds of
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grams. No more fumbling your way
through thickets of strange symbols and
codes for the different computers every-
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The rules

The rules are simple. To play the
CompuClub "game," you've got to be a

member Anyone conjoin, as long as they
fork over a mere five bucks, and agree to
buy three programs dunng the year of
membership. Order and buy your pro-
grams at any time dunng the year, but
we're sure with our selection and prices
that you'll want to get going right away

Five dollars buys you a one-year mem-
bership, exclusive Atari® program offer-
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updates during the year, a current price
list (and any necessary updates), a sub-
scription to our newsletter, and dis-
counted prices at all times, including
announcements of our periodic sales,
which feature savings of 50% off and
more.

You can join by filling out the coupon
below, or get an instant membership by
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your MasterCard or Visa identifying num-
ber We'll forward your registration and
sales order materials, your catalog and
price list, so you can begin ordering right
away

That's all there is to it.

If you think you play a good game,
you've got to join CompuClub. It's easy to
play and it saves you money

We think it's the best Atari® game
joing, because with us, everybody wins.

YES

CompuClub, PO Box 652, Natick MA 01760
^ I want to play the greatest Atari® game of all. Please enroll me in CompuClub for one year, and rush my
^ registration material, catalog and price list to me. I agree to buy any three programs during the

course of my year of membership. I have enclosed my payment of $5, or authorization co bill my charge card account.

Please make your check payable to CompuClub

Payment enclosed D check D money order.

Bill my D MasterCard D Visa ID #

Expires—

Signature

City

Zip
-DiskD TapeD

Computer Model

If you are not satisfied in any way with the conditions of your membership, you may cancel before
ordering any programs from CompuClub. Your membership fee of $5 will be cheerfully refunded.

To join by phone, call toll-free.

800-631-3111

Please have your MasterCard or Visa card
ready when you call. In Massachusetts, call
1-617-879-5232. We will forward your
membership materials after confirming
authorization for your charge.

WESTKKOURG

THESUKD

Vl^MMf'

r^^.

RAPHKS WHERE

OtrrSHMEl

You'll never see Infocom's graphics on
any computer screen. Because there's
never been a computer built by man
that could handle the images we pro-
duce. And, there never will be.
We draw our graphics from the limit-
less imagery of your imagination— a
technology so powerful, it makes
any picture that's ever come
out of a screen look like
graffiti by comparison.
And nobody knows how
to unleash your imag-
ination like Infocom.
Through our prose,
your imagination
makes you part of
^^ ■ m our stories, in con-
■p- K trol of what you do
▼ and where you go-
yet unable to pre-
dict or control the
course of events.
You're confronted
with situations and
logical puzzles the like
of which you won't find
elsewhere. And youte im- [
mersed in rich environments alive
with personalities as real as any
you'll meet in the flesh— yet all the
more vivid because they're perceived
directly by your mind's eye, not
through your external senses. The
method to this magic? We've found
the way to plug our prose right into
your psyche, and catapult you into a
whole new dimension.

Take some tough critics' words
about our words. SOFTALK, for
example, called ZORK® Ill's prose

"far more graphic than any depiction
yet achieved by an adventure with
graphics." And the NEW YORK
TIMES saw fit to print that our
DEADLINE"' is "an amazing
feat of programming." Even a
journal as video-oriented as ELEC-
TRONIC GAMES found Infocom
prose to be such an eye-opener they
named one of our games their Best
Adventui-e of 1983.

Better still, bring an Infocom game
home with you. Discover firsthand
why thousands upon thousands of
discriminating game players keep
turning everything we write into
instantaneous bestsellers.

Step up to Infocom. All words. No
graffiti. The secret reaches of your
mind are beckoning. A whole new
dimension is in there waiting for you.

AIOaKEDDOCRAMADMAN

5^^

sMaaoss

mpoconv

The next dimension.

Infocom, Inc., 55 Wheeler St., Cambridge, MA 02138

For your: Apple II, Atari. Commodore 64. CP/M 8.' DEC Rainbow.
DEC RT-U. IBM. NEC AFC. NEC PC-8000. Osborne 1. TI Professional.
TRS-80 Model 1. TRS-80 Model III.

ASSEMBLY LANGUAGE

AUTOBOOT FOR BASIC

1580 DEVCAS .BYTE "C:" ,

2160

LDA

#$F2

continued from page 30

$9B

2170

PHA

Load / dump routine source:

1590

2180

LDA

#$07

1000

* =

$0600

1600

* =

$680

2190

PHA

1010

1610

2200

JMP

GETFIL

1020 PST

$4000

1620

DUMP TO CASSETTE

2210

1030

1630

2220

.END

1040

SAVE TO BOOT DISK

1640 [

3MPCAS JSR

CTBOOT

1050

1650

LDA

#$00

1060 F

-ORMAT LDA

1660

PHA

Header program source:

1070

STA

$301

1670

LDA

#$0B

1000

*=$4000

1080

LDA

1680

PHA

1010

1090

STA

$304

1690 GETFIL AND

#$0C

1020

MEMLO =

$80

1100

LDA

1700

PHA

1030

1110

STA

$305

1710

LDA

#$80

1040

PST . BYTE

1120

LDA

#$21

1720

LDX

DEVCAS

1050

.BYTE

1130

STA

$302

1730

CPX

#$43

1060

.WORD

$0700

1140

JSR

$E453

1740

BEG

*+4

1070

.WORD

$E474

1150

)

1750

LDA

#$00

1080

LDA

#$3C

1160 [

DMPDSK JSR

CTBOOT

1760

PHA

1090

STA

$D302

1170

LDA

1770

LDX

#$30

1100

LDA

#$0A

1180

STA

$301

1780

LDA

#$03

1110

STA

$C9

1190

STA

$30A

1790

STA

$342, X

1120

LDY

#$FF

1200

LDA

#$57

1800

LDA

#DEVCAS

1130

STY

$11

1210

STA

$302

&$FF

1140

INY

1220

LDA

1810

STA

$344 , X

1150

STY

$2C8

1230

STA

$304

1820

LDA

#DEVCAS

1160

STY

$244

1240

LDA

#PST/256

7 256

1170

MOVEHD LDA

$07F2,Y

1250

STA

$305

1830

STA

$345, X

1180

STA

MEMLO, Y

1260

LDA

1840

PLA

1190

STA

MEMLO+

1270

STA

$30B

1850

STA

$34B,X

2,Y

1280 .

JMPDSK JSR

$E453

1860

PLA

1200

STA

MEMLO+

1290

INC

$30A

1870

STA

$34A,X

4,Y

1300

CLC

1880

JSR

$E456

1210

INY

^ > '

1310

LDA

$304

1890

PLA

1220

LDA

$07F2,Y

1320

ADC

#$80

1900

STA

$342, X

1230

CLC

1330

STA

$304

1910

PLA

1240

ADC

#$07

1340

LDA

$305

1920

STA

$344 , X

1250

STA

MEMLO, Y

1350

ADC

1930

LDA

#PST/256

1260

STA

MEMLO+

1360

STA

$305

1940

STA

$345 , X

2, Y

1370

DEC

NUMSEC

1950

LDA

1270

STA

MEMLO+

1380

BNE

JMPDSK

1960

STA

$348, X

4. Y

1390

1970

LDA

NUMSEC

1280

INY

^ J '

1400 NUMSEC .BYTE 0

1980

STA

$349 , X

1290

CPY

#$0E

1410

1990

LSR

$349, X

1300

BCC

MOVEHD

1420

GET SECTOR

COUNT

2000

ROR

$348 , X

1310

1430

2010

JSR

$E456

1320

LDX

#$FF

1440 (

:TB00T LDA

PST+$FF

2020

LDA

#$0C

1330

TXS

1450

STA

PST+1

2030

STA

$342 , X

1340

LDA

#$A9

1460

LDA

PST+$FE

2040

JSR

$E456

1350

PHA

1470

ROL

2050

BRK

1360

LDA

#$61

1480

ROL

PST+1

2060

1370

PHA

1490

INC

PST+1

2070

* =

$6E0

1380

JMP

$B74D

1500

LDA

PST+1

2080

1390

1510

STA

NUMSEC

2090

LOAD FILE

1400

.END

□

1520

RTS

2100

1530

2110 L

.OAFIL LDA

$2E6

1540

* =

$670

2120

CLC

1550

2130

SBC

#PST/256

1560

DEVICE NAME

2140

STA

NUMSEC

1570

T A

2150

ASL

NUMSEC

ANTIC, The ATARI Resource

NOW WITH NEW
FEATURES

CREATE

DIFFERENT

VOICESIj

j^^m&mmi,-

x.^.. " k,J'},

That's why Apples and Ataris are saying:

"Talk Is Cheap"

IT'S CALLED

THE SOFTVWRE AUTOMATIC MOUTH,

S.A.M. FOR SHORT

It's a high quality speech synthesizer
created entirely in soltware. You use it
as a software utility, load it into RAM,
and then use your machine as usual,
except now you can make your pro-
grams talk. It generates the speech
sounds on demand, so there is no limit
to what it can say

When you hear S.A.M. , you'll prob-
ably agree that it sounds better than all
the hardware speech synthesizers for
Apple or Atari computers. And, it has a
truly remarkable price.

YOU CONTROL INFLECTION,
PITCH AND SPEED
With its user-variable inflection, S.A.M.
can accent words on the right syllable
and emphasize the important words in
a sentence.

You can alsb make S.A.M.'s speech
higher or lower, and faster or slower,
over a wide range of settings.

USE EASY PHONETIC INPUT
OR PLAIN ENGLISH TEXT

S.A.M. understands a simple phonetic
spelling system, not a mysterious
alpha-numeric code. S.A.M. helps you
learn phonetic spelling by showing you
your mistakes, and the owner's manual
gets you started with an English-to-
phonetics dictionary of 1500 words. So
it's easy to make S.A.M. produce
exactly the sounds you ^,^ .

want. ^^ J

But suppose you ^3L^

want to type ordinary
English, or you want .««-.:a— ».;•-
your machine to read a
word processor file
aloud. The S.A.M.
disk comes with RECI-
TER, an English text-
to-speech conversion
program that lets
S.A.M. speak from
plain English text.

SAM

VMt

ADD SPEECH TO YOUR PROGRAMS
WITH EASE

In a BASIC program, you add speech
with just a couple of commands. In a
machine language program, it's just as
easy. S.A.M. comes with four demon-
stration programs to show off its dis-
tinctive features and help to write your
own talking programs. Write adventure
games with talking characters, educa-

tional programs that

l%JI explain aloud, or

L Iwl utilities with spoken

■ prompts - put your

imagination to work.

You can order
SAM. directly from
DON'T ASK. Add
$2.00 for shipping and
handling to your check
or money order (or
order C.O.D.)

NEW: S.A.M. HAS MANY VOICES

I We've added two software KNOBS that you I
[adjust (witti a POKE) to change the shape I
lot S.A.M.'s "mouth and "throat". These!
I KNOBS make S.A.M. sound like a different I
I person - an old lady, a little kid, an I
I extraterrestrial. You create S.A.M.'s vocal I

S.A.M. for the Atari 400/800

S.A.M. talks through your television
speaker No additional hardware is
required. Only $59.95
Requires 32K, disk. (SAM. takes up
9K; RECITER 6K.) Note: to produce
the highest quality speech. S.A.M.
automatically blanks the screen during
vocal output; the display is preserved.
S.A.M. can talk with the screen on, but
the speech quality is reduced.

[DCDHTASK

I COMPUTER SOFTWARE I

Telephone: (213) 397-8811

Hear S.A.M. at your favorite computer store today!
Dealer inquiries welcome.

TAPE TOPICS

pnD.[E

Three cassette storage schemes

by CARL EVANS

This article begins a new series on
cassette file structures. Right now I
could write a book on the subject, but
since that is not practical, I will hit one
topic at a time, with occasional digres-
sions into issues brought to my atten-
tion by you readers. This introduction
is one of those reader-induced pieces.

The topic this month is "what is a
file?" The answer is very complex. I
see ads every day for programs that
promise to solve all of your troubles in
copying cassette files, and because I'm
in the business, I buy all of them. As
for cassette utility programs listed in
magazines, I either type the program in
myself or get them from the publisher.
You, on the other hand, are pretty
much at the mercy of the purveyors of
such programs. This article will help
you know what questions to ask about
the next nifty cassette program you are
thinking of buying.

BASIC files are somewhat different
from machine language "BOOT" files.
Most of you understand some of the
differences between CSAVE, LIST"C,
and SAVE"C BASIC files. If you don't,
then hang on until I get to those details
in a future article. However, even the
more informed of you are still fuzzy
when it comes to telling the difference
between the various kinds of BOOT
files.

The most common type of BOOT
file is the ordinary single-stage, single-
file program. Let's call these "normal"
BOOT files. These are the kinds of
files that something like CBOOTMGR

(see ANTIC #6) will readily copy or
upload to disk. Such files are relatively
simple, the file structure for both
cassette and disk are almost identical.
The structure is close enough, in fact,
that a simple GET-BYTE:PUT-BYTE
routine can take one of these files from
a cassette and directly transfer it to
disk, or vice-versa. Such a file will
BOOT normally and nobody is the
wiser. Alas, most commercial pro-
grams are not anywhere near to this
simplistic ideal.

Programs like CBOOTMGR do a
nice job of copying some programs
and a nice job of uploading most of
those programs. But you probably
have run into a number of programs
that it can't copy, and even more that it
can't upload. The problem is that
CBOOTMGR only does the mission it
was designed for. A flathead screw-
driver works fine for driving flathead
screws, but falls short when it comes
to phillips-head screws. The problem
in this case is very similar.

BOOT files come in three basic
types, and to further complicate the
situation, the three basic file structures
can be combined with one another.
The first type, the "normal" BOOT, is
a single-stage, single- file collection of
128-byte records.

The second type is the single-stage,
multi-file program. A good example of
this type of program is the game with a
small loader file that displays a title
page before automatically loading the
actual game. Remember this format

because there is a variation on it that
I'll discuss later. This kind of program
can usually be copied to another tape
by a program like CBOOTMGR, but
can not be properly transferred to disk
since the first file calls the second file
using a machine-language cassette
loader. Some modification is required
for it to work properly from disk, and
that is not a trivial task for even an
accomplished machine-language pro-
grammer.

The third major type of boot file is
called a "multi-stage" boot file. Please
don't confuse this with the single-
stage, multi-file boot program. A
multi-file boot program contains a
separate end-of-file marker for each
file, while a multi-stage boot program
generally has only one end-of-file
marker. The only multi-stage boot
programs I have seen are typically very
large programs that can't be loaded in
a single-stage (normal) boot. This
means that the program has more than
255 sectors. The Lords of Karma and
Empire of the Overmind adventure
games fall into this category.

Your normal cassette copy program
bogs down on this type of file and fails
to give you a good copy. This type of
program is even more difficult to
transfer to disk since the nature of the
multi-stage boot can vary consider-
ably. This means that an upload pro-
gram will successfully upload this kind
of program only if the particular multi-
stage sequence of that program has

continued on page 38

ANTIC, The ATARI Resource

REPLACE YOUR ATARI® 410*

WITH THE

EFOi@®

FSK TO DIGITAL TRANSLATOR

• This unit allows you to replace the Atari 410*
recorder with your own stereo cassette deck.

• Easily installed between cassette deck and
computer in less than one minute.

• A continuous L.E.D. readout verifies recording
and leader quality.

• The EFD600 also provides a TIL compatable 5v
logic signal at the beginning and end of each
program for cassette deck switching.

WHY LOSE ANOTHER PROGRAM?

TO ORDER SEND CHECK OR

MONEY ORDER FOR $49.95 TO:

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307 Milledge Ave., S.E.
Atlanta, GA 30312
(404) 586-0944

•TRADEMARK OF ATARI INC,

MGIC STORYBOOK

Three Little Pigs

16 K Cassette $29.95

For young and old. See the three little pigs unfold

before you in a beautiful scrolling storybook. Enjoy

animation and a delightful musical narrative sound tract.

For Atari 400/800/1200 computers.

EVERY NINE MINUTES SOMEONE JOINS
AMERICAN SOFTWARE CLUB

HERE ARE TEN REASONS WHY:

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available. If you find a lower, nationally advertised price, we will
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anything you don't want.

3. FAST SHIPMENT: The products we offer in our catalog are kept
in stock, so orders are usually shipped within 24 hours.

4. PRODUCT DESCRIPTIONS: ASC's bi-monthly Compendium con-
tains extensive product descriptions on every offering so that novice
and expert alike know what they are buying.

5. WIDE SELECTION: ASC carries hundreds of programs as well as
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For A Six-Month Trial Membersiiip
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7. PRODUCT SUPPORT: We believe it is as important to support prod-
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Please begin my free 6-month trial membership as outlined above.

Name

Address

City/State/Zip .
My computer is:

D APPLE n ATARI D IBM PC

D TRS-80 (Mods. 1,2,3) D CP/M (8" or 51/4")

TAPE TOPICS

FILE FORMATS

continued from page 36
been anticipated. Fortunately, this
boot format is not widely used for
commercial programs.

Many game companies are using a
modified, single-stage, multi-file for-
mat. The first file will load normally
and can be copied by any boot-file
copier, but the second file just won't
seem to copy. The reason is simple, but
not very well known. The first file is a
normal 128 byte-per-sector file which
alters the way the computer looks at
cassette files. The ones I have analyzed
alter the byte-per-sector format from

128 (default) to 146, or to some other
odd-ball number.

The net result is that if you try to
copy one of these programs using the
normal CIO routine, the copy won't
work. The only way you can do it is to
get down to the SIO level. If this
sounds like Greek to you, don't worry,
you are not alone.

The real gripe I have with altered-
sector-length "copy protection" is that
the programs are almost impossible to
upload to disk. The file structure in a
disk file is locked into the system's
standard format, since the disk con-
troller is isolated from user inter-

y^®^.

^ ^/X"

vention.

In upcoming issues I will discuss
each of the major file formats for both
BASIC and BOOT files and try to ex-
plain some of the complexities of
cassette file structures. As I go along I
will toss in a routine here and there I
have found useful in either analyzing,
copying, or uploading the various
kinds of files.

If I don't cover the particular area
that you need to know about, then
write to me about your question and 1
either will answer it with a column
devoted to that specific topic or give
you a brief answer in Tangle Angles.

ngle

\-«..x^'

My recorder will playback its own
tapes; however, it won't playback
those of my friends. I was told that this
is a problem due to different head
alignments. Is there a kit that I could
use to align the head myself? Would it
be possible to use a better quality
recorder, such as Sony or Panasonic,
and if so, what filters would I need?

Dr. John G. Golden
Dayton, OH

There is no commercial head align-
ment kit for the Atari 410 Recorder,
but you can easily make your own.
The details are too lengthy to go into
here, so I will use my next column to
answer you in depth. In the meantime,
don't worry about it since the proper
head alignment won't cure your prob-
lems anyway.

In one of my recent columns (see
ANTIC §S) I explained why you have
to use the Atari recorder with your
computer and cannot use any other
commercial recorder.

I am presently on my third cassette
recorder and, at best, I am only able to
save fifty percent of the programs. The
computer checks out okay. I have
meticulously marked the beginning,
used an "L" Print before "C" Saving,
and still lost programs.

W.R Keryluk
Portage la Prairie,
Canada

The problem sounds like it stems from
a bad POKEY chip and although you
state, "the computer checks out okay, "
I have my doubts. Most of the people I
know who have had recorder after
recorder malfunction have solved the
problem by having the POKEY chip
replaced. Take the computer to a certi-
fied service center and specifically ask
them to check the POKEY chip.

Many of us are stuck with multi-stage
boot cassettes that we can't convert;
also, they take so long to load. I have
three such cassettes, and since getting
my disk drive, I need a program to
load them on disk. In addition, how
does machine code do away with the
lead tone usually required on cassette?

Lawrence Blouir

The first problem we have to handle is
terminology. I suspect that what you
are calling a "multi-stage" load pro-
gram is what I refer to as a "single-
stage, multi-file" (SSMF) program. See
my article in this issue of ANTIC for a
detailed explanation of the terms.

If you are trying to upload a "multi-
stage" file or an unprotected SSMF
program, then something like Vervan's
CASDIS program will do the trick.
However, if what you are hoping to
upload is a protected SSMF program,
then you are probably out of luck.

There is no way I know of to simply
transfer such programs to disk since

ANTIC, The ATARI Resource

the record length (sector length) of a
disk file is not alterable by the user.

Your other question has a better
answer. The leader tones on a cassette
are only used by the operating system
to establish the input baud rate for that
cassette file. Once such a file has been
loaded into memory, the write-to-disk
routines dump the data (program) to a
disk file without bothering to send out
the unnecessary baud rate tones.

The counter on my recorder has
broken and I have no way of knowing
where a program starts. Can I use a
POKE to identify the start points of
any program on a tape? Is there a book
with technical aspects defined?

Mike Evans
Ontario, Canada

There are two simple ways to find a
file on a cassette. The first is to play
the tape through a normal recorder
(not the 410) until you can hear the
sound of the program, then rewind the
tape to just before the program, and
then transfer the tape to the 410
Recorder. This is awkward at best.

I usually use the PACTL trick. Pok-
ing the PACTL location 54018 with a
value of 52 will turn the 410 motor on.
Normally this will allow you to listen
only to the audio channel on the tape.
However, if you turn the volume on
your TV way up, then you can hear
the actual start of the program on the
other channel.

Note that you should POKE 54018,
60 to turn the motor line back off.

If you are interested in the more
technical aspects of the cassette
recorder, then I would suggest that you
read De Re Atari and the Technical
User Notes both of which are available
from Atari.

You requested any sources for ATARI
parts. Pass the word to your readers
that we have a very good inventory of
parts. The number of each part on

June 1983

hand is limited and we must limit the
numbers sold from our service depart-
ment inventory. If any of the ANTIC
readers need a part, have them call or
write:

VIDEO COMPUTER WORLD Inc.

2223 Woodville Road

Oregon, Ohio 43616

(419) 691-7282

Robert Rusch
Vice President

This is the first letter from anyone
other than a consumer. If you readers
have any other good sources for parts,
then let me know and I will help to
spread the good word.

It is extremely difficult to put "unpro-
tected" cassettes into my 410. "Pro-
tected" tapes, with the tab punched
out, are okay but I need to use a thin
knife to push the tape back before it
will clear the read /write head and the
attached tape guide. My children have
broken it twice, by pushing a tape in
and pushing the lid shut without using
extreme caution.

Gerry Wick
Los Angeles, CA

Your problem is not a common one.
The recorder should accept both
"virgin" tapes as well as those with the
write-protect tab punched. If you are
having a problem physically loading
either type of tape, then the recorder is
defective and should be replaced or
sent to a repair center.

The head alignment of our first 410
did not hold. We obtained a replace-
ment under warranty. We wonder if
current problems are due to a "floppy"
head.

Tapes we have CSAVED on our 800
often will not CLOAD on our 800, but
will on another 800.

Sometimes commercial tapes will
not CLOAD.

A tape which was LIST "C:" 'd will
not load.

The error is usually 138 or 143.

Sometimes by varying the starting
point on the tape, it will load. Where
one starts the tape is very critical. Plus
or minus on the counter of one unit is
crucial. The clatter sound of the load-
ing, and the loading, is highly depen-
dent on the point at which the tape is
started. This is in spite of the fact that
we are supposed to have the model in
which one needn't wind the tape past
the leader.

Robert Orr
Wilmington, DE

Head alignment should be checked
after every 100 hours of use. Align-
ment should not vary much during
that interval. The 410 I am using now
has over 200 hours of use on it and the
heads are still within the factory specs.
A recorder with a floppy' head is
defective.

All of your loading problems sound
like you have a problem with the active
filters. Try the 'reliability fix' I sug-
gested in my article and you should
notice a marked iinprovement. Q

Due to the length of the Data-Base
articles, we have postponed publication
of our regular departments PILOT and
DragonSmoke. They will return in July.

ANTIC. The ATARI Resource

People display a seemingly insatiable desire to keep track of information. My wife is
organizing data on 600 Girl Scouts for their summer camp. I have a file of partici-
pants in a research study. My neighbor's job requires tracking the court appear-
ances of various miscreants. All of these chores cry out for an efficient way to store
and use information, and in answer we have the computerized Data-Base Manage-
ment System (DBMS).

This issue of ANTIC surveys most of the DBMS products available for the ATARI.
This article introduces DBMS concepts and terminology, and explains how to deter-
mine if using one will really make your work easier. Other articles will survey the
features and functions of specific systems.

DATA BASE BASICS

HOW DATA

ARE ORGANIZED

For our purposes, the smallest unit of
data manipulated by a DBMS is the
character. Characters are letters, num-
bers, punctuation marks and other
symbols that can be entered from the
keyboard. The ATARI also generates
"graphics characters," but most data
bases don't accept them. A single
character may be meaningful by itself,
for example, the numeral "2" or the
letter "a." Characters can also be
grouped logically, for example, the
number "25" or the word "monkey."

Characters, grouped or standing
alone, are the data. All data must ap-
pear in appropriate, designated places,
and these places are called fields. A
field is an area within each record
where data of a particular kind is en-
tered and stored. For example, a field
to hold a name might be called the
NAME field. Every field must have a

Field Number
Field Name

Field 1
Name

Field 2
Address

Field 3
City /State

Field 4
ZIP

Record 1
Record 2
Record 3

Jones

Thomas

Roberts

27 Way Ct.
35 My Street
18 Her Street

Alamo, TX
Chico, CA
Reno, NV

94949

94959
96999

FIELDS are groups of characters describing a logical piece of data. Records are
groups of fields describing a total unit of information, in this case the name and
address of a person. A file is a collection of records. In this example, only three
records constitute the file.

stipulated length, so let's give NAME
field a length of ten character spaces.
This will accomodate names like
"Smith" or "Richardson," but "Stanis-
lavsky" will be chopped off at the "k."
Fields may also be restricted to either
alphabetic or numeric characters in
some instances.

A record is a group of related fields
which contain all the information
about the particular thing or person to
which the record relates. The title,
author, publisher and subject of a

book, for instance, would be a record.
Records have several characteristics,
such as number of fields and relation-
ship to other records.

A file is a related set of records all of
which share an identical file structure.
All the book title cards in a library con-
stitute a file. The author cards are a
separate file. Files are usually referred
to by name, or by the type and number
of records they contain. In addition to
files of data entered by users, a DBMS
will create and use special files which

FILE -FAX is the

easiest-to- learn, simplest-to-use
DBMS available todayl Designed as a
"filing system" for the businessman or
hobbyist, file-fax quickly accesses
records, retrieving information at
exceptionally high speeds.

FILE-FAX can be used to keep track of
a wealth of information— about people,
places, dates, events. It has an 8-level
sort, wide ranging search capability,
and a powerful report generator. Use it
for inventory control, customer files,
mailing lists, purchase records, and
more — you are limited only by your own
imagination.

FILE-FAX will run on your APPLE II or
II + , Atari 800, IBM-PC, NEC PC-8001,
Commodore 64, Osborne, and Victor
9000. Write for full details. Please spec-
ify the computer you are working with.

ANTIC, The ATARI Resource

D/\T/\ BASE BASICS

describe the records, fields and charac-
ters in a file, or define the reports the
user wishes to see.

A data base is a set of related files. In
the systems now available for the
ATARI, a data base consists of files
created by users, plus several auxiliary
files. One of these, the definition file,
contains descriptions of records (field
name, number, length, type, etc.).
Another, the report file, describes
characteristics of reports such as which
fields to print, where to print them,
which fields to subtotal, and which
order to list the records.

you how you want your records
printed and will then produce lists of
your file on the screen or printer. Final-
ly, some of the systems will let you
build new files from the data in one or
several existing files (the merge /re-
organize program).

THE BENEFITS OF DBMS

It's easy to write by hand various infor-
mation about the 250 contestants in
your tennis tournament. The com-
puter won't save time there; unless
you're an excellent typist, data entry

Definition File

Field lengths,
types and locations

Report File

Report
descriptions

Data File

Names & addresses

DATA BASE

A DATA BASE consists of related files. A definition file describes the record in
terms of field lengths and types. A report file describes report characteristics
such as which field to print, where and when to subtotal which fields. A data
file contains user data such as names or amounts. Files with pointers to data
records for random access are often required but are invisible to the user.

Finally, a Data-Base Management
System is a set of computer programs
which allows you to create records,
fields and reports, enter data into files,
and delete, change, search, and sort
those data. In larger computers a
DBMS allows you to use several data
files simultaneously. DBMSs for the
ATARI, however, are limited to one
data file and are, therefore, often
called file management systems.

The programs in a Data-Base
Management System will ask you how
you want your data recorded (the file
definition program), and then let you
enter and revise your data (the data
entry-update section). You'll then be
able to search through your records to
locate specific data you need and sort
the file into the order you wish (the
search /sort module). The report
writer section of the system will ask

will be slower than handwriting. But
when you need to write all those
names on envelopes, or when the tour-
nament director requests both an
alphabetical list and a list by club affi-
liation, your typing time will have
been repaid many times over.

Flexibility is the keyword for a good
DBMS. Flexible systems allow you to
define records as you collect the data,
and then change that definition as your
needs change. You'll be able to search
quickly for specific records, then
change the data in them (when a player
moves, for instance). You'll be able to
sort your records into different se-
quences for different reports. Finally,
the full-scale systems will allow you to
describe different reports with dif-
ferent fields in different sequences with
subtotals and totals on the fields you
wish. Often, the system will compute

results from data you've entered; a
sales value, for instance, by multiply-
ing number of units sold by selling
price.

Since these systems are necessarily
complex, the designers put great effort
into making them easy to use. Prompts
on the screen ("Load this file?") or
"help" screens with full pages of the
manual are available in a good system.
And, of course, the DBMS is useless if
it isn't error- free.

DO I NEED A DBMS?

First, decide whether you'll need the
data in your file sorted in different
sequences, reported in different ways,
or updated (changed) frequently. If
you do, you're a candidate for a DBMS.
Next, decide whether your application
(the file and all reports from it) will fit
one of the systems available. As a first
step in this process, you might take a
3x5 card and describe the fields you
plan to store. Enter a field name, such
as Last name. First name, etc. Then,
below the field names, write samples
of the data you'll record; "Robertson,
John," for instance. Fill out several
cards, one for each record. Count the
fields and guess the length you'll need
for each field, then add the field
lengths to compute the record length.
Then, estimate the number of records
you will use in a file. Finally, compare
these numbers to the "capacity" charts
in following articles. If everything fits,
you may wish to examine the features
and choose a specific system for your
work.

HARDWARE REQUIRED

Although some systems get by on 16K
of memory, you'll probably find your
file size severely limited. In general,
plan to have at least 40K and, even
better, 48K. Get 48K for all the full-
scale systems, no matter what the
manufacturer says.

All the systems in our survey need at
least one disk drive. Some, however,
could certainly benefit from two drives
— to eliminate disk swapping. Only

continued on next page

June 1983

DATA BASE BASICS

Character

Record

bertson, John
32 Tokay Ct.
Robertsville, 111. I 92596
303-599-9989
SCUBA, 32 $55.00

File

Field

Process by DBMS Sort and
Report "Writer Programs

Field

Record ■

Interest

Scuba

Age Name

32 Robertson, John

Phone

303-599-9989

Dues Paid

$55

Scuba

33 Small, Becky

309-599-9889

Subtotal
Sailing

Subtotal
Grand Total

39 Long, Sandra

317-123-4567

•
$100'^-
50

50*
$150='

Report

A data file may be organized in one way and reported in different orders. In
this example, a name and address file with addressees' interests, age and dues
paid, is organized by DBMS sort and report writer programs into a report by
interest area with total dues by area. The report omits data not needed for this
use. The data file could be sorted in different orders and reported in different
formats.

one of the systems takes advantage of
the double-density feature of Percom
drives. The rest should operate with
Percoms in single-density mode. Only
one system now officially supports the
80-column card from BIT 3, a nice
feature for this type of program. And
only one system works with the RAM-
DISK 128K memory card. Would you
believe that each of those "one
systems" is a different system?

A printer seems almost a necessity
for most applications. The systems
will work fine without a printer, how-
ever. If you can borrow a printer when

you need one, that should be okay.

A FINAL SELECTION LIST

Murphy's Law guarantees that "what-
ever can go wrong, will." After watch-
ing many disasters, I'm a firm believer
in seeing all parts work together before
buying. A long visit to a reputable
dealer who will let you test the soft-
ware on your application is always a
wise step. Bring your own hardware to
the store, if necessary. But whatever
you do, try it out yourself. The several
hours you'll spend here may save hun-

dreds of dollars spent on hardware
that won't do what you need, or a pro-
gram that doesn't feel right.

Ken Harms, our Contributing Editor
usually responsible for PILOT articles,
is Vice President of Administration for
the California Division of the Ameri-
can Cancer Society. Familiar with large
data bases and mainframe applica-
tions, he courageously waded through
the enormously complex comparison
of the nine DBMS products surveyed
in this issue. Q

ANTIC, The ATARI Resource

If you are serious about personal finance...

Budget Forecast- 26 expense categories
Check Entry -easy data entry -scan & modify
26 major & 36 sub-categories -information block
Check Search -single or multiple parameters -
(up to seven) to search entries
Tabulations -detailed expense vs. budget
comparisons by month, year-to-date, category
Bar Graphs- screen displays in graph form
expenses vs. budget- by month or category -
printing with graphic capable printers
Check Reconciliation -fast clearing of resident
checks & deposits, complete summary report
Checkwriter- prints your custom checks
Printouts- most popular printers
Multi-Colored Graphics • Audio Enhancements
7 Utility Programs • User- Friendly Operation
Easy To Use Instruction Manual • Audit Report
Handsome Tinted Plastic Storage Case

RE^ieiLDCi

COMPUTE!

The L«oding Mogaarw O Home, Educational. And Iteci«o1iono' Computw^

In a feature editorial.

"If you want lo use a finance system, but
don'l want to spend seveinl days trying to
learn how to use one, then A Financial
Wizard by Computari may be just what
you need."

"The illustrated manual that comes with
this program is clear, direct, and very
thorough."

"It appears (hat this finance system was
designed to achieve (he best and most
comfortable working reladonship between
(he user and the program."

"The check entry routine is (he mos(
attractive feature of this finance system.
Data prompts are very clear and the cate-
gory i(em names are displayed at all times
during data entry for your convenience."

"The file search capabilities of this
program are superior. You are offered
seven ways to look up (he checks."

"The sys(em is disk intensive. All data is
saved au(oma(ically and immediately
following all routines tha( either enter data
or modify it."

"Scanning your entries is made possible
by pressing START. You can see records
very quickly this way."

"This is an excellent finance system-
en(er(aining, accura(e, and fun to use."

Computari's

A Financial Wizard 1.5

The logical choice.

The system is designed for Atari computers having a minimum of 32K
and operating from a disl< drive. The cost is only $59.95 plus $3 for
handling/postage.

If your dealer does not have A Financial Wizard . . . Telephone orders
are accepted on Mastercharge or Visa credit cards. Mail order must be
accompanied by check or money-order or credit card ff.

EZDMPUTLE^E

(HI MCJiJ\tt KX A

I <0"«JT(» CX(N(B

Analog Magazine in a
comprehensive study of
personal finance systems
for Atari 'computers.

"A Financial Wizard from Computari is by
far the best of these programs and will be the
standard of comparison for the others."

"The check entry mode is easy (o use. . ."

"The way a Financial Wizard handles your
labulalions is excellent. You can chart your
actual expenses vs. your budget by month, by
category or year lo dale."

". . .where il really outshines Ihe rest is in the
check reconciliation."

"in effect it gives you your bank statement on
Ihe screen, a complete list by month of all
your checks and deposits."

"A Financial Wizard has one disk that does
everything. . ."

"Graphics, while really not a factor in the
quality of programs of this type, do make
your budgeting chores a litde more pleasanl.
Again A Financial Wizard comes ou( on (op."

"F>ery(hing about this program is excellent. . ."

Dealer inquiries invited,
"trademark of Atari Inc.

OK residents ad 4% Tax.

^r^W Th, ATARI Rr«.u-tr

In a Report from Antic.

"Like most Alarians, I am captivated by
the graphic, color and sound capabilities
of my machine. Nothing quite discourages
me more than to boo( up an applications
program (personal, business, etc.) and to
be presented with the standard graphic 'o'
white characters on a blue screen.

Of course the usefulness and effectiveness of
a program is of primary importance. How-
ever, enhancing the dullest of applications
programs with some of Atari's charms, is a
great asse(. A Fmancial Wizard, a personal
finance program by Compulari's Bill
McLachlan, is an excelleni example of an
applicalions program (ha( integrates many
of Ihe Atari's features inio a well conceived
and executed program."

"The use of color and sound in Ihe dala
input prompts and error checking routines
are so well done that it's quite simple to
boot up (he disk, follow along with the
very clear documentation, and be 'up and
running' in short order."

"I give A Financial Wizard high marks in
ease of use, documenlalion and perfor-
mance. If a disk-based home finance
package is in your future. The Wizard
should get serious consideration."

Exclusively thru

0,%' LlNIz

COMPUTEn CENTEnS of OKC '

(405)751-7925

10944 North May, Oklahoma City, OK 73120

a CHECK ENCLOSED D VISA G MASTERCHARGE

NAME (Print)

Address

City

State
Card tt

Zip.

Exp._

Signature.

start off on the right foot

with an ATR8000 for your Atari.

In the long run, it makes more sense.

^Yfffme^m^amamgmmmamm^me-t, ii ||| i

You're going to expand your Atari
So why not do it right.

Your first step, purchase of an Atari
400 or 800, was smart. Your next logi-
cal step is to buy a SWP ATR8000™
interface unit.

An ATR8000 gives you more capa-
bility for less money. You can start
small, but you can build big . . . from
an outstanding home computer to
a powerful CP/M™ machine. And
prices for the ATR8000 start at only
$349.95.

Yes ... I'd like to know more about
SWP's ATR8000 and CO-POWER-88
for my Atari 400/800 computer.
Please rush me free literature.
Send to:

SWP Microcomputer Products, Inc.

2500 E. Randol Mill Rd. - 125

Arlington, Texas 76011

100

street address

city

stale
MAIL TODAY!

zip

I MAIL TODAY! J

DEALER INQUIRIES INVITED.

SU/R

NICnOCDINPUTER PnDDIJCTS

2500 E. Randol Mill Rd
Arlington, Texas 76011
617/469-1181

We used to be Software Publishers, Inc.

ATR8000 and CO-POWCR-88 are trademarks of SWP Micro-
computer Products, Inc.; CP/M and CP/M-fi6 are trademarks
of Digital Research Corporation; MSDOS is a trademark of
Microsoft Corporation; Z-80 is a trademark of Zilog
Corporation; Atari 400, Atari 800 and Atari 810 are trade-
marks of Atari, Inc.

PRICES AND SPECIFICATIONS SUBJECT TO CHANCE
WITHOUT NOTICE.

What you get first, in the amazingly adaptable ATR8000, is plug-together
interfacing to all ordinary system devices:

• To floppy disk drives — The ATR8000 lets you hook up from one to
four low-cost add-on drives, 5" or 8", one- or two-sided, in any mix

. . . and go right to work with either a single- or double-density DOS.
(DOS is optional.)

• To a printer. — The ATR8000 parallel "Centronics-interface" is
supported by a ROM driver program that you can access from
Atari Basic.

• To a modem, to a serial data terminal or to any other RS-232
communicating device — The comprehensive users manual includes
an Atari Basic serial printer driver.

• To Atari peripherals such as the 810 Disk Drive.

And of course the ATR8000 interfaces to the 400 or 800 computer itself.
But system versatility is just the beginning; the ATR8000 also opens the door
to another world of microcomputing.

Atari-CP/M — A whole new world
of personal computing

Quite simply, CP/M is the dominant operating system of the 8-bit micro-
world. Make the ATR8000 your first system expansion unit, and you can
put the CP/M world in your own little jug.

Since the ATR8000 is actually a self-contained Z-80 computer, a low-cost
upgrade converts your Atari-ATR8000 system into a full-capability CP/M
machine. Of course you can also start right off with a CP/M-ATR8000. In
either case, you get CP/M program-development capability, plus access to
an enormous base of proven application programs that just load and go.
The CP/M upgrade, which includes 64 Kbytes of RAM, costs just $249.95.

And it doesn't end there!

You can further upgrade your CP/M-ATR8000 to 16-bit microprocessing
power ... to CP/M-86 or MSDOS operation. Moreover, with SWP's
CO-POWER-88™ upgrade, you not only retain your 8-bit processing
capability, but you also can use CO-POWER-88 RAM — up to 256 Kbytes
— as fast, simulated disk storage for CP/M operation.

Like the ATR8000, CO-POWER-88 comes with comprehensive documen-
tation. Prices begin at $749.95 with 128 Kbytes of RAM and CP/M-86
operating system.

Full-scale Data-Base Management Sys-
tems (DBMS) are the most capable and
flexible of all the systems surveyed.
Generally, they have more features and
are the most complex, but they are not
necessarily the hardest to use. Only
four systems qualified as "full-scale"
products in our survey: CCA, Data
Perfect, File Fax, and FileManager + .
The best of these are excellent, and all
had some excellent features.

To qualify as "full-scale," a DBMS
had to handle at least 500 records of
100 characters each, allow at least 20
fields per record, and sort on at least
three of those fields. These systems
also generate reports designed by the

user.

Although each of the four programs
meets the minimum requirements,
they differ considerably in ability, ease
of use and features. Before buying,
carefully study the charts and narrative
to evaluate the strengths and weak-
nesses of each system.

THE EVALUATION

Each system was evaluated for over
180 characteristics, features and func-
tions. Our comparison chart shows the
most important of these. The follow-
ing narrative represents my best judge-
ment after using all the systems on
several data bases. All data, and most
of the judgements in the table, were

discussed with each vendor, but you
should verify our findings before you
buy.

Comparisons of time requirements
and use capacities are based on a con-
sistent record of 100 characters con-
taining nine fields in a 48K machine.
Features common to all programs (or
missing from all) are generally not in-
cluded in the chart, but are covered in
the narrative.

The chart presents the features
roughly in the order you would en-
counter them as you use the system. If
you purchase one of these, make sure
you get a version equal to, or higher
than, that shown on the chart.

continued on page SI

June 1983

YOU'VE GOT
FROM NOWIILTHE
END OF THIS PAGE
TO BECOME

See all those
glittering diamonds?
Grab 'em.
You need 1,000 diamonds fast.
To score, you have to
burrow deep. Deep
into the caverns.
You craftily cop a dozen
jewels. Then, jump to the ledge
below. Then down to another. And
another. But, STOP!

There's notliing but an abyss
below. Nothing for you there except
a bad fall — and even worse, delay!

No, don't
go tltere.
You've already
stripped that
vein of diamonds.
Go where no one
has ever dared
venture before.
Follow die aiverns.
Deeper and deeper.
Down the ladders. Over to
tlie right— more jewels . . . and
CURSES!... you've fallen
And you're losing time.
Grab those diamonds.
Ah ha! You've reached 1000!
The Flame Spirit has been set free.
Now you must capture it.

flashlight.
The Flame Spirit
is very near.
A flicker. Out of
the comer of your eye.
Shine that light!
There
it is. Now,
kneel
before the
Spirit and
grab it.
Gotcha! Run!
Run to the

Temple. Watch out! Behind you!
A vampire bat trying to
steal the Flame Spirit. Climb down,
below the ledge. Another bat!
Down. To tlie very bottom of tlie
mountain.
To the pit. And the darkness.
Lit only by the shimmer of
diamonds. Suddenly there's a rush of
movement ... a giant spider —after you.

^" Ah

Quick— down another ladder.
Listen!

Ghostly music
floating
tlirough the
black tunnels.
That means
the Flame Spirit
is hiding nearby

Tlie music gi'ows louder as you
draw closer.

Now softer (quick, go back die
otlier way). Louder again. Shine your

Run. Jump. Up to the ledge. Hurry!
Jump again!

Aarrrrgggglilihli! You're caught.
Woven in a tangled web. Hurry
break loose before he returns and
you're devoured.

All! You've freed yourself. You've
lost time, but you've gained character

Now, on to tlie Temple.
But bewai'e of the guai"dian flames— one
false move and youll end up chaired
. . . and out of tlie game! Get to die
Temple Portal, die Spirit in your
grasp. Shine your light on die giant
guardian sloill. You kneel. (Not out of
respect, but out of need — for without

B^P

kneeling,

entering tlie

Temple is forbidden.)
The entrance yawns

open. And you leap in. There,

enshrined deep within the

sacred Temple,
emblazoned
with gold, is the
sovereign
crown. You must
get that crown.
Witiiout it, you
cannot become

Mountain King. With it, you'll rule.
But now comes the tough part.

Can you make the treacherous climb

back to the surface? Can you

avoid the relentless bats and

spreading cave fires on tlie

way? Can you even find tlie way?
Get Mountain King.' ^' Plug it

into your home computer. It will

plunge you into the depths, and lift

you to die heights.

ANOTHER GAME TO DIG INTO.

It's Boulders and Bombs.' ^'
One to four can play And with
99 levels of terrific tunneling
adventure, it's every bit as involving
as Mountain King.

Your challenge is to tunnel to
safety beneadi the surface of an
unknown planet as hostile, alien
vultures seek to turn you into a
buried fossil, entombed in an alien
life fomi.

While day turns to night above
ground, you use your trusty roto-
auger to claw a patli to safety
below ground— tlirough tons
of earth, boulders, and tlie
ever-spreading green
cave fungus.

ROM
Cartridges for:
Atari®400/800™

(Mountain King
available soon for
Commodore 64™
and VlC-20™)

Fortunately,
you can uneartii
time bombs along
die way to blast away
die hazards die vultures
toss at you.

But the crawling fungus
spreads as time runs out.

Now diat you l<now the names of
diese challenging new games, and
you know what it's like to play diem,
there's one otlier diing you should
know:

They're from CBS Softwai'e. And
even diough diat name says a lot
about quality entertainment,
we haven't mentioned it until now.

NEW! MOUNTAIN KING

Because

at CBS Softwai'e,

we believe our

computer programs should

speak for themselves.

NEW! BOULDERS AND BOMBS

:& 1983 CBS Inc.

"MOUNTAIN KING" is a trademark

of Kay Enterprises Co.

"Atari" is a trademark of

Atari, Inc.

"Commodofe 64" and "VIC-2Q" are

trademarks at Commodore Business

Mactiines. Inc.

liililllili:llilHlill

Itware

BOULDERS and BOMBS

CBS
Software

CBS Software. You Umm wnat you're getting.

ATARI" DOES MORE THAN ANYONE

ELSE TO GIVE YOU TWO HELPFUL

KINDS OF ODMPUTER SERVICE.

LOCAL. LONG DISTANCE.

"^ nrms of your ATARI system is avail-

' ..^x)R INFORMATION CALL"
/AUTHORIZED SERVICE

./f/K^iT-

-312-6289222

r,&tNE^OEOCORP.

Harrington. IL 332-382-3932

MIDWEST

1467 S \

'*?X TV SI

6450 N fl

REX TV sn

18666 Si

Homewo,

RON'S TV i

°9fflTV
°50 VV Hie

If you need someone to fix your ATARI® Video
Game or Home Computer, you'll find the best
place is also the closest.

We have over 1,600 ATARI SERVICE'" Centers
coast to coast; just look in the Yellow Pages under
Video Games or Computers.

And if you have any
kind of question about your

ATARI Home Computer— how to do something
new with it, how to debug one of your own pro-
grams, what kind of peripherals are best— call the
ATARI Help Line and tallc to an ATARI expert.
Our toll-free number is 1-800-538-8543.*

At ATARI SERVICE, we
take care of you. As well as
your ATARI system.

HiHni dcnvibc

FACTOR/ AUTHORIZED NETWORK

WE ANSWERYOURCALL FOR HELP

■'California: L800-672-I404

Dfym BASE 5UFi\/EY—FULL-5CfyLE

HARDWARE

All systems require at least one disk
drive. The number of drives "sup-
ported" indicates the maximum num-
ber of drives which can be accessed
during an operation. In other words,
although FileManager can access files
on any one of four drives at one time,
only File Fax will allow records from a
single data file to be entered on more
than one drive.

used by each of the four systems, they
will not behave comparably if the
record format is changed. CCA and
File Fax store keys on disk and are,
therefore, insensitive to the length of
the key. Data Perfect keeps all records
in memory and also doesn't care what
size the key field is.

FileManager keeps keys in memory,
but records on disk, making it difficult
to calculate a maximum file size. Once

Only four systems qualified as "full-scale" products in

our survey: CCA, Data Ferfect, File Fax, and

FileManager -\- .

"Need for second drive" is a per-
sonal judgement of how difficult the
DBMS is to operate with only one
disk. Since CCA and FileManager load
only part of the master program at a
time, a single-drive user must occa-
sionally "swap" data disk for system
disk to access some functions. Al-
though Data Perfect loads the whole
program at the start, it does require
two disk swaps for each record in
some rarely-used operations. Both of
these situations increase the need for a
second disk drive.

CAPACITIES

Each system can accommodate only a
certain number of fields, and no mat-
ter how few fields are used, a record
cannot exceed a certain maximum
length. Although every field also has a
maximum length, the maximum record
length is seldom the product of
number of fields times field length.

Each product has different limita-
tions. For instance, if you need 30
fields, only Data Perfect or File Fax
will work. If, however, you need
fewer, but very long fields (descriptive
text, for instance), only FileManager
will suit.

The number of records a system can
handle in a single data base is limited
by memory and disk space. The chart
reports the maximum number of
records for a file of 100-character
records with a four-digit numeric key.
Since entirely different schemes are

the key field becomes longer than
about one 25th of the data record,
FileManager becomes memory-limited
very rapidly. For example, all systems
were originally configured for a
numeric key field. With this key, File-
Manager would accept only 255
records since it assumes that all
numeric fields are 14 characters long.
Under its scheme, a 14-digit key limits
the system to 255 records no matter
how short the full record is. I had to re-
configure the test data to use an alpha
field four characters long to get more
than 500 records with FileManager. A
further warning: since FileManager
sorts by changing the index fields, you
may not be able to sort files on longer
keys. For example, if a data base con-
tained 400 records with a four-digit
key, an alphabetic sort on last name
(even limited to five characters as File-
Manager suggests), plus first name,
would expand the index up to 10
characters. Since FileManager can
only handle 319 records if the index

ticular record is located on a disk,
without reading the entire file. These
pointers work on "key field" (or "index
field"). Access to a record is much
faster using key fields, so you'll want
to choose as key fields the ones you use
the most; the last name, for instance,
in a name and address file.

The CCA system automatically uses
the physical position of the record (the
record number) as its key. File Fax
automatically assigns key-field status
to the first field in the record. Neither
of these schemes is as flexible as the
Data Perfect method (allows any single
field) or the FileManager approach
(three fields — but limited to 24 char-
acters). All the systems search for
duplicates. A search will get the first
record which matches your "call" in
the key field. If two or more records
match the criteria, you skip to the next
record manually. (Duplicate keys are
not applicable to CCA's record-
number system.)

To optimize disk use, some systems
permit only one data base per diskette.
With backup, this costs two diskettes
per data base. If you anticipate many
small data bases, your disk cost would
be reduced by using CCA or File-
Manager. Only File Fax can handle
thousands of records — over 4,500
records of 100 characters! This could
be crucial feature.

GENERAL INFORMATION

The first ten items in the chart make a
system generally easy or hard to use. A
single-load system installs the entire
program into the computer when the
system is started. Other systems, that
do not load completely at boot, cause

All systems require at least one disk drive.

has 10 characters, you would not be
able to sort the file.

You probably wonder how File Fax
stores 1000 records of 100 characters
(lOOK total) on a disk which stores
only 88K. They "pack" data with a
special encryption scheme. Very neat!

Most DBMSs generate an internal
"pointer file" which tells where a par-

delays and disk swapping during
operation.

A careful system will require confir-
mation to perform a "dangerous act."
File Fax is generally very good here
except that a [CONTROL] [Q] key-
press will return immediately to the
menu without saving keyed-in data.

continued on next page

June 1983

DATA BASE 5Uf^\/EY— FULL-SCALE

The [ESCAPE] key also destroyed
form designs without asking con-
firmation.

Prompts on the screen are reminders
of available actions. Help screens
show pages of explanatory text. File
Fax's help screens are nicer than
prompts for a new user, but an experi-
enced user will probably prefer Data
Perfect's excellent prompts.

Vendor support seems good, and all
companies have full-time employees
who answered my questions knowl-
edgeably. CCA, a well-established
system, is the only one I know of with
an active user group. This could be im-
portant if you chose to modify the
system.

Keyboard consistency means the
same key always does the same thing.
Data Perfect's consistency was gener-
ally very good. After I got used to its
two-step method of doing some opera-
tions, the system was very logical. A
system should reject unallowable key-
presses — an alpha character in a
numeric field, or an incorrect choice.
File Fax does this very well. A system
that remembers your choices reduces
typing. Both Data Perfect and File Fax
are excellent here.

Some people like unusual screen
colors. In my opinion, blue and white
is the easiest to read. I found File Fax's
black and white difficult to get clear on
my screen. If you like colors (and large
letters mixed with small ones), you'll
love FileManager. FileManager uses
different colors for different sections of
the program. Some may find this help-
ful; personally, since the screen bright-
ness kept changing, I was annoyed.
Data Perfect uses an excellent two-
color scheme to separate choices and
prompts from data.

Only CCA allows an experienced
programmer to modify its code. This
could be a real advantage for a user
with specific applications. Many CCA
users, for instance, have produced
special reports. The BIT3 80-column
card could be supported. Modifica-
tions are available to use the double-
density mode on Percom drives (con-
tact John R. Babson, 106 Berwick Dr.,

FULL-SCALE DBMS

CCA

DATA

FILE

DBMS

PERFECT

FAX

MANAGER +

VERSION

4.1

1.3

Release 2

HARDWARE

Drives Supported

1 \

Need for second drive

High.

Moderate''

Low''

High-'

Special hardware

;

supported

Percom':

80-columns

None

RAMDISK :

Minimum Memory

40K

32K

48K

40K '

CAPACITIES (MAXIMUM)

Number of fields

Record size (characters)

249

511

880

2000

Field size (characters)

110

127

100

Number of 100 character

records

800'i

696

1005.=

512f*

Data bases per diskette

Many

Number key fields

N/A

1 -first

Key field length

N/A

127

Number of data file drives

GENERAL INFORMATION

^Kk

Single Load

Yes

No Wgrn

Confirm destructive acts

Good

Excellent

Fairs

Fair Vh

Prompts

Good

Excellent

See help

Poor 1

Help screens

Many

No 1

Vendor support

Good*

Good

Good *

Keyboard consistency

Good

Goodh

GoodB

Excellent'

Unallowable key rejection

Goodi

Good)

Excellent''

Goodi

Retains user choices

Seldom

Often

Seldom

Screen colors

Blue

2-color

Black

Various

User Modifications

Yes-Easy

Lower case

Yes

Merge w/word processor

Letter Perfect

Not Now

Text Wizzard

DOCUMENTATION

Tutorial

Advanced*

Yes

Yes'

Fair* JH|

Index

Pardy

Fair

No ^B

Presentation

Fair

Poor

Excellent

Poor

DATA BASE DEFINITION

Full Screen Layout

Yes

Easy re-editing

Yes*

Yes

Build new specifications

from prior

Easy

Print out file definitions

Yes

Reorganize data base

None

Excellenf"

None

Good*

See page 94 for chart notations

Pittsburgh, PA 15215). The double-
density mode was not tested.

All labels from File Fax will have a
computer look since it does not allow
lower-case letters. Both Data Perfect
and FileManager can merge data with
form letters in a word processor. This

is a very nice feature!

DOCUMENTATION

Unfortunately, while most of the prod-
ucts show a lot of thought, only File
Fax includes a good manual — and
even that does not include an index!

ANTIC, The ATARI Resource

DATA BASE 5UFi\/EY— FULL-SCALE

B^EAt>- , ASjM

.A- > .MSg.h'^i^^^mmm^mBisms^f'xrs^iivam^i'amim^^ss^mSimtU

FULL-SCALE DBMS

<9I

CCA

DATA

FILE

DBMS

PERFECT

FAX

MANAGER +

VERSION

4.1

1.3

Release 2

FIELD TYPES

Decimal positions

Yes

No*

Constants

No"

Yes

No*

Yes

Require field fill

Yes

Automatic Dollars

and Cents

No"

Yes

Date

Yes

Non-editable

Yes

# Computed Fields

Anyp

None

Complex Math on

Computed Fields

Yes

Auto Incrementing

Yes

DATA ENTRY /UPDATE

Full Screen Form

Yes

Atari Editing

Yes

Special Editing Functions

None

Excellent

Non

Excess Field Length

Warning

Yes

Auto Next Field

Yes

Auto Next Form

Yes

No*

Yes

Verify record

Yes

Keep data from

prior record

Full record

By fieldi

By field'

Input Editing Ease

Fair

Excellent

Prompts /help

Prompts

Help screen

None

Math calculation

Yes

REVIEWING / UPDATING

RECORDS

Review by how many

fields

4 + key

All

4 + key

Review by range

Yes

Review by record number

Yes

Logical searches

(and, or, not)

And /Or

And

And, Not

Wild Cards, part of field

None

Excellent^

Good'

See prior record

Yes"

Print reviewed record

Yes

One-pass find & update

Nov

Yes

Nov

Yes

Find and change

Yes

Selective global change

Yes

Selective global delete

Yes

Search 50 records by

key field

2-3 sec.

Instant

2-3 sec.

Search by non-key field

(per record

Vi sec.

Instant

Vi sec.

1 sec.

See page 94 for chart notations

CCA's presentation is aimed at readers
very familiar with DOS and computer
lingo. FileManager's entire manual is
tutorial that does not give enough

June 1983

information about what's happening
unless you are actually doing their
example on the computer.

Although Data Perfect is a friendly

program, the rnanual is very hostile. If
you use standard English, you'll be
offended by silly errors, poor sentence
construction, and confusing word
choice.

DATA BASE DEFINITION

To define a data base, give it a name
and then describe each of the fields in
its data records. CCA and FileManager
ask for definitions one line at a time.
Essentially, they prompt you to name
fields and set field lengths, one after
the other, down the screen.

Data Perfect and File Fax, on the
other hand, lay out a form on a full
screen. Each field is placed where you
want it and the length and charac-
teristics of the field are displayed as
they would be on a paper form. File
Fax allows field names or any other
descriptive data to be placed above,
below, before or after the field. Data
Perfect requires the exact field name
immediately before the field. Although
both systems are very good, I prefer
the flexibility of File Fax's layouts.
These layouts can be edited. Data
Perfect allows you to insert a new field
anywhere in the layout, but when you
want to enter data, you must work on
the inserted fields after completing the
original fields.

If your application requires a lot of
complex data entry. File Fax's out-
standing screen would be very useful.
An easy system should permit you to
build a new data definition by modify-
ing a prior one. Two of these DBMSs
allow this.

Finally, you will probably want the
ability to reorganize an existing data
file into a new file by adding, deleting
or rearranging fields. Only Data Per-
fect and FileManager allow you do do
this automatically — with the others
you must retype the data.

Data Perfect reorganizes files one
record at a time. This is all right if you
have two drives, but with a single drive
you must swap disks twice for each
record — an intolerable inconvenience!

Data Perfect will merge files created
under the Letter Perfect word-process-

continued on next page
53

DATfii B^SE SUf^VEY— FULL-SCALE

ing program, or Atari DOS files
created by BASIC programs. Tiie
manual doesn't describe this ade-
quately, however.

Overall, File Fax's data definition is
outstanding. However, lack of a "re-
organize" function severely limits
overall flexibility. Data Perfect's defini-
tion screen is also very well done, but
you'll need access to a second drive to
use the reorganize function easily.

FIELD TYPES

All systems allow alphabetic and
numeric fields. In the chart, "decimal
positions" specify exactly how many
decimal places a number will have. File

you automatically increment a field
value for each record — check num-
bers could be calculated automatically,
for example.

File Fax presents nice prompts for
field attributes and has some unusual
field types such as right justified, Y/N,
and alpha-only. Overall, however, lack
of computed fields will probably limit
File Fax's usefulness for many appli-
cations.

DATA ENTRY /UPDATE

One major purpose of a DBMS is to
enter and update data at will. All these
systems do this, but some are consider-
ably easier and faster than others.

Computed fields automatically calculate results from,
values entered into other fields in the same record.

Fax and FileManager do not provide
this feature, but allow automatic
dollars and cents fields specified to two
places. With CCA and Data Perfect,
decimal placement is fully variable.

Constant fields always contain the
same data until specifically changed,
for example, state names, in a list pre-
dominantly for a single state. File Fax
doesn't provide this on a field-by-field
basis, but, on a data-base-wide level it
allows you to recall data from a prior
record by a blank return. A "require
field fill" does not allow blanks —
what does one do with a 6-digit tele-
phone number, for instance?

A date field holds MM-DD-YY
numbers and sets up sorts so that
12-01-82 is less than 1-1-83, very use-
ful if you plan to sort by birthdays. It
also prohibits month 13, etc. A non-
editable field does not allow update —
whatever is entered first remains
forever.

Computed fields automatically cal-
culate results from values entered into
other fields in the same record. For
instance, if you entered "units sold"
and "price per unit," a computed field
could show the total sale. This is a very
powerful feature. Data Perfect carried
it one step further to allow access to
the internal record number. This lets

The nicest screens for data entry are
by Data Perfect and File Fax, both
paper-like forms. These screens use the
ATARI editing features such as up,
down, insert and delete. File Fax pre-
sents a more creative form and is the
easiest to use.

CCA and FileManager show data-
entry screens as a list of fields. Both
allow insert, delete, and right and left
arrows for editing within a field. File-
Manager allows up and down arrows
to edit different fields. CCA allows
"going back" to edit a field, but you
must retype the data in that field.

Several special editing functions in
Data Perfect and File Fax automatic-
ally enter parts of a field without re-
typing the entire field. Both Data
Perfect and FileManager allow entry of
data beyond the limit of an alphabetic
field, but truncate the input without
warning.

The auto-next-field feature moves
the cursor to the next field when the
current field is full without requiring a
return. This speeds data entry for
fields such as phone numbers, zip
codes, etc. Automatic-next-form saves
the record and brings up a new form
when the last field is completed. Data
Perfect doesn't do this because it
allows the user to choose whether the

next form will be blank or will include
data from the previous form. File Fax
can remember data from a prior record
on a field-by-field basis, which is help-
ful on many applications.

We have seen File Fax's generally
logical presentation, and data entry is
no exception. The designers have,
however, made several unfortunate
decisions by locating editing choices in
the data-definition module rather than
in entry /update. For instance, you
generally would choose to "verify
record before input" to be sure you
were familiar with a new form. After
entering a few records, you would
often like to change to auto-next- form.
Doing so with File Fax is a frustrating
procedure.

The math-calculation feature allows
you to see results of computed fields
before saving the record.

Some of the systems incorporate all
the desirable features (see chart), but
File Fax's outstanding screen makes it
more efficient for large-scale data en-
try operations. Data Perfect, a close
second in screen quality, will be better
for records which are very similar from
one record to the next. FileManager's
record-saving routine is extremely
slow and would handicap users with
large numbers of records.

REVIEWING / UPDATING

After entering data, you'll want to find
particular records and either read
("review") or change ("update") them.
You specify what you want, and the
program searches for that informa-
tion. CCA does this for only one field
at a time. Other systems permit speci-
fying a range of values for several
fields. Some systems find records by
record number. This is handy when
you compare records to the "hard
copy."

If you specify multiple criteria, the
programs require that the record satis-
fy all criteria. This is an AND search
("Both field 1 AND field 2"). File-
Manager allows NOT searching ("Do
NOT select if age is less than 26").
Wild cards allow you to specify parts

continued on page 89

ANTIC, The ATARI Resource

Five data base management systems
for the ATARI don't permit large num-
bers of fields or are otherwise more
limited than the full-scale DBMSs re-
viewed elsewhere. Formerly, the
smaller programs were considered
easier to use. However, outstanding
large-scale systems have erased that
advantage and left only two significant
niches for the small programs — price
and special applications.

The small systems deliver on price,
running from $23 to $50, compared to
at least $100 for their bigger sisters.
Although most of these systems are
designed to accept nearly all kinds of
data. Atari's Home Filing Manager is a
very simple system which handles very

June 1983

simple data very well indeed. Needing
only 16K of memory, it's an outstand-
ing example of a beautiful, friendly
program to fill a specific need — in this
case, the automated card file.

You should go through the normal
steps of designing a few data bases on
paper (see article on full-scale systems)
to see whether a limited system will fit
your needs. If you're looking primarily
for labels, also consider the mailing Ust
products not surveyed here.

The comparison chart for the small-
scale systems includes only the most
important variables. The text covers
most of the unusual features and speci-
fic faults of each program. Terms not
defined in this article are explained in

the "full-scale" article.

HARDWARE

Although some systems claim to run in
small memory spaces, they won't hold
very many records unless a full 48K
RAM is available. The exception is
Home File Manager, which stores only
keys in memory and isn't quite so
memory-bound. The need for a second
disk drive increases as the need to
swap diskettes increases. MMG, File It
and APX20134 require you to load
data after changing sections of the pro-
gram. This is a bother in its own right,
and is even worse if you must con-
stantly switch diskettes in a single-
continued on page 96
_

MEET THE
ON THE

NEW KID
BLOCK.

Catch-up with the newest, wackiest
video game you've ever played! Kid
Grid! But don't get caught with your
guard down because the mischievous
bullies Squashface, Thuggy, Muggy
and Moose are after you in hot pursuit.

It's the wildest, fastest chase you've
ever been in. You've got to connect all
the dots on your grid: keep on the look-
out for the mysterious bouncing
question mark and don't slow down at
corners! Squashface, Thuggy, Muggy
and Moose are always on your shirttails.
Your secret weapon— the joystick button.
Press it and the bullies get zapped!
When they turn white and freeze, make
your escape. If the bullies finally catch
you the results are explosive!

With Kid Grid you get all the sights,
sounds and colors of arcade games. The
better you get the faster and wackier Kid

Grid becomes. Soon you'll be racing
around at hyper-space speeds!

Kid Grid by Tronix. A hi-resolution video
game written in 100% machine code.

Designed for the Atari 400 & 800 home

computer. Available now at your dealer

for $29.95 (suggested retail price).

So meet the new Kid on the block. He'll
be your pal forever

Tronix games are available at your local store, or direct

from us. Send a ciieck or money order to Tronix

Publishing, Inc., 701 W. Manchester Blvd., Inglewood,

CA 90301.
Dealer inquiries invited.

ATAR I® is a registered trademarl^ of Atari , inc.

» 1

I
I

IN THE PUBLIC DOMAIN

lyie ladle's haii

by JOHN WEBER

Lone Eagle has five horses, and keeps them behind a fence.
Outside, the woods are full of bears that sneak up to eat the
horses. The object of the game is to protect your horses
from the bears.

As the game begins, one bear will start to move towards
the horses' enclosure. If it reaches the fence, the bear eats a
horse. When all the horses are lost, the game is over.

To protect his horses, Lone Eagle can either wound the
bears, stopping them temporarily, or kill them. Lone Eagle
moves around in response to the joystick. To wound a bear
he just moves to the spot which the bear occupies. The bear
will vanish and reappear elsewhere on the screen, usually
near the bottom. To kill a bear, he must use bow and arrow.
The bow will shoot in one direction only, towards the left.
To fire, press the joystick to the left and simultaneously
press the fire button. Lone Eagle can only carry ten arrows
at a time. To restock, he must move to the arrow symbol in
the area behind the fence. Placing Lone Eagle next to it will
supply him with his limit often arrows. This can be done at
any time during game play.

The bears move faster as more of them are killed, but
only one will attack your horses at any time. If a bear is
moving along either side of the screen and finds its way
blocked by a boulder, it may sneak around to the other side
of the screen. Lone Eagle can also "wrap around" like this.
Also, if a bear gets trapped between the rocks, he can no
longer attack. Once a bear knocks down part of the fence
or goes beyond the fence line, he will no longer attack. At

100 GOSUB 1000

105 DIM C(20),K(20),H(6)

150 POKE 756,CHSET/256:SETCOLOR 4,12,4:P

OKE 710,35:POKE 709,42:POKE 711 ,8
160 SC=PEEK(88)+256*PEEK(89)
170 POS = SC + 249:DEAD=1 :E=1 : HARD=9 : KILL = 0

:WOUND = 0:LIMIT = 5:FIRE = 0:SHOT = 0:X = 0
185 FOR 1 = 1 TO 20:K(I)=1
190 G(I)=SG+INT

(349*RND(0))+125:IF C(I)=POS THEN 190
195 IF PEEK(C(I)) THEN 190
200 POKE G(I),4+128:NEXT I:D = C(1)
205 FOR 1 = 1 TO 40*RND(0)+30
210 XS = SC+INT(349*RND(0))+75
215 IF PEEK(XS) OR XS = POS THEN 210
217 IF PEEK(XS)=132 THEN 210
220 POKE XS, 5+ 192: NEXT I
225 FOR 1 = 1 TO 60

June 1983

this point, a final screen will appear notifying you of Lone
Eagle's statistics.

1 . How many horses were lost.

2. How many bears were wounded.

3. How many bears were killed.

4. How many arrows were fired.

5. Percentage of arrows fired and bears killed.

Now you can press START to play again or SYSTEM
RESET to end.

230 XS = SC + INT(35*RND(0))+35:POKE XS,7+12
8: NEXT I

235 FOR 1 = 1 TO 5

236 DJD = SC+INT(25*RND(0))+15:FOR 11 = 1 TO
I: IF H(I1)=DJD THEN POP :GOTO 236

237 NEXT II

238 H(I)=DJD:POKE H ( I ), 9 + 64: NEXT I

240 XS = SC + INT(5*RND(0))+5:IF PEEK(XS)=19
9 THEN 240

241 POKE XS, 8+128

300 ST=STICK(0):POKE POS,6+64
310 IF INT(RND( 1 )*10)+1>HARD THEN GOSUB
400

315 IF ST=15 THEN 300

316 IF KILL = 4 THEN HARD = 8

317 IF KILL=10 THEN HARD = 7:G0SUB 600
320 IF STRIG(0)=0 THEN GOSUB 800

continued on page 59
57

-■«

.^^

life -J

Mmm EVER PUBIS

mrmE hand (ffsmppaan

There's no such thing as a quick
game of Strip Poker. With two
captivating female opponents, this
fast-paced program features graphics
and game play so realistic that players
tend to lose track of time. Decorum
forbids that we actually show you what
happens on the screen. Suffice it to say
that our sophisticated software gives you
ample incentive to stretch your poker
skills to the limit!

Just to sweeten the pot, we've
added two new data disks . . . one with
two new female opponents, the other
with two males. The action is intense
and the stakes are high.

If you have a keen competitive
instinct and don't mind occasionally
losing your shirt, see your local computer
store or call us for Strip Poker today.

Atari (40K) and Apple II (48K) computers, $34.95 Diskette. Additional
Data Disks (specify male or female) $24.95 ea.

Look for tliese and otfier Artworx programs at your local computer
store. For a free catalog , write or call 800-828-6573 . Artworx Software
Co., Inc., 150 North Main St., Fairport, NY 14450 (716) 425-2833

Apple and Alari are registered trademarks.

So you can play.

IN THE PUBLIC DOMAIN

LONE EAGLE'S REVENGE continued from page 57

325 NPOS = POS + 20*(ST=9 OR ST = 5 OR ST=13)-

20*(ST=6 OR ST=10 OR ST=14)-(ST>8 AND

ST<12)+(ST>4 AND ST<8)
330 IF NPOS<SG OR NPOS>SC + 479 THEN 300
335 P=PEEK(NPOS)

340 IF P = 0 THEN POKE POS , 0 : POKE 53760,100:
POKE 53761 , 136 : POS = NPOS : POKE 53760 , 0 :
POKE 53761,0: GOTO 300

341 IF P=136 THEN SHOT=0:GOTO 300
345 IF P0 132 THEN 300

350 IF P=132 THEN POKE POS , 0 : POS = NPOS
356 POKE 53761 , 168: FOR S = 26 TO 104 STEP 4:

POKE 53760, S: NEXT S : POKE 53760,0: POKE

53761 ,0

358 IF POS = D THEN GOSUB 710 : E = E+1 : GOSUB
460: D = C(E): GOTO 385

359 FOR B=1 TO 20

360 IF POS=G(B) THEN GOSUB 700: GOTO 385
365 NEXT B

385 W0UND = W0UND+1:G0T0 300

399 REM MOVE BEARS

400 GOSUB 460
410 P = PEEK(D-20)

413 IF P=132 THEN GOSUB 660 : GOTO 430

414 IF P = 73 THEN GOSUB 500 : K( E) =0 :GOTO 4
50

415 IF P=135 THEN GOSUB 500:GOSUB 430:GO

TO 450
421 IF P=197 THEN GOSUB 660
430 D = D-20:IF D<SC + 20 THEN K(E)=0:GOSUB

500: RETURN
435 POKE D+20,0:POKE D, 4+ 128 : RETURN
450 E=E+1:IF E>20 THEN 400
455 D = C(E): RETURN

460 Y = 0

461 IF E>20 THEN E=1

463 X = X+1:IF X>20 THEN 470

464 IF K(E)=0 THEN E = E+1 :Y=1 : GOTO 461
466 IF Y=1 THEN D = C(E)

468 X=0: RETURN

470 SOUND 0,0, 0,0: SOUND 1,0, 0,0: GOTO 3000

499 REM BEAR HIT FENCE

500 POKE 53761 , 140: FOR S = 26 TO 86 STEP 15:
POKE 53760, 8: FOR W=1 TO 20: NEXT W:NEX
T S:POKE 53760,0: POKE 53761,0

510 POKE H(DEAD),0:H(DEAD)=0:

DEAD = DEAD+1 :IF DEAD>LIMIT THEN 3000
520 K(E)=0:RETURN

599 REM FIND WHOS ALIVE

600 IF 1=7 THEN RETURN

604 DJD=SC + INT(25*RND(0))+15:FOR 11 = 1
TO 5: IF H(I1)=DJD THEN POP : GOTO 604

continued on next page

RANA 1000 DISK DRIVE

FOR YOUR ATARI COMPUTER

* Compatible with existing software

* Single density 90K

* LED readout defines five functions

* 90 day warranty

* Interchangeable with Atari 810

* Works with Atari DOS

Single/Double Density Drive $329.00

(Soon to be released with Double Density Software)

MPP- 1100 Parallel Printer Interface

(Eliminate need for Atari 850)

* Compatible with all software

* 2 year warranty $79.00

RAM FOR ATARI

64K Board (400) $1 20.00

48 K Board (400) $100.00

32K Board (400/800) $ 70.00

1 6K Board (800) $ 40.00

Inhome Keyboard for (400) $ 89.00

Joytyper Keyboard for (400) $ 99.00

Note: Installation of Memory Boards or400 Keyboards $20.00

You Pay Freight Costs

H FULLY CERTIFIED 100% DEFECT FREE
Single/Double Density
DISKETTES (1 Box Min.)
1 0-29 (Diskettes) 1 7.49/box

r^BMCD c 30-99 (Diskettes) 1 5.99/box

GENERIC 100-1- (Diskettes) 14.99/box

MINI-FLOPPY

DISKS BULKDISKETTES WITH SLEEVES

10-29 (Diskettes) 1.59/Diskette

QlkV*'^^ 30-99 (Diskettes) 1.49/Diskette

GVJ^ 100-1- (Diskettes) 1.45/Diskette

DEALER INQUIRIES INVITED

GEMINI DOT MATRIX PRINTER

■^ ■, 9 X 9 Dot Matrix

100 GPS. Bidirectional

6 Character Sets

7 Character Fonts

? Cut Sheet: 8" to 10"
Fanfold: 3" to 10"
Copies: 3 carbonless sheets

GEMINI 10( 80 Column) $319.00

GEMINI 1 5 (1 36 Column) $479.00

CALL TOLL FREE: 1-(800)-824-7506

MC COMPUTER CREATIONS, Inc.

VISA P.O. Box 292467

COD. Dayton, Ohio 45429

(513) 335-4260 or CALL

(513)294-2002 COLLECT

All Orders Add $2.50 Shipping and Handling. Ohio Residents Add 6% for Sales Tax.

June 1983

UTILITIES

forM»M400/800/120O.

( Software I Utility programs
require no software
modifications and are
a must for all serious ATARI BASIC
programmers.

CASDUP 1.0 & 2.0 To copy most
BOOT tapes and cassette data files.
1.0 is a file copier. 2.0 is a sector
copier. Cassette only $24.95

CASDIS To transfer most BOOT
tapes and cassette data files to disk.
Disk only $24.95

FULMAP BASIC Utility Package.
VMAP-variable cross-reference,
CMAP-constant cross-reference
(includes indirect address
references), LMAP-line number
cross-reference, FMAP-all of the
above. Will list "unlistable"
programs. Also works with
Editor/Assembler cartridge to allow
editing of string packed machine
language subroutines. All outputs
may be dumped to printer. Cassette
or Disk $39.95

DISASM To disassemble machine
language programs. Works with or
without Editor/Assembler

cartridge. May be used to up or
down load single boot files. All
output can be dumped to printer.
Cassette or Disk $24.95

DISDUP For disk sector
information copying. May specify
single sector, range of sectors, or all.
Copies may be made without read
varify Disk $24.95

IJG products are available at
computer stores, B. Daiton
Booksellers and independent
dealers around the world. If IJG
products are not available from your
local dealer, order direct. Include
$4.00 for shipping and handlingper
item. Foreign residents add $11.00
plus purchase price per item. U.S.
funds only please.

IJG, Inc. 1953 W. 11th Street
Upland, California 91786
Phone: 714/946-5805

IT'SJUSTGREAT!

ATARI TM Warner Communications. Inc

LecHii to program the ATARI «
fai 65Q2 Machine Language & BASK .

Three new ATARI books for the
serious programmerand beginner, are
now distributed by IJG, for use with
the ATARI 400 and 800 microcomputer
systems. ^^

ATARI BASIC, UaKTftUlsliig
'his Is an action book^ou i^^ram
Itb It more than you rea^it.
it, you discover with it, y&u cri
.Learn ATARI BASIC easily through tj
'short programs providwt. Ajrejt '
sourca of work proW^Bfefisaciier
or student. 73
3-9Z-1682-8B.;,

fiames For f I
Ideas on how to cl
computer games
BASIC examples but, for very
advanced programmers, a machine
language example is included at the
end of the book. 115 pages. ISBN
3-911682-84-3 $7.95.

How to Program Your ATARI In fiS02
Machine Language. To teach the

novice computer user m
language, the use of an aslfarilili
an^tfwto call subroutines Wm
BA^ interpreter. 106 pages. fSBI
3-92 1682-97-5 $9 95,

IJG products are avallabte at
mputer stores, B, Daltun
tailors and Inriopsndent deaieis
(awBTtd -WW
products are nft available
ur local dealer, order direct,
ude $4 00 for shipping and
idlin0per Item. Foreign residents
add $11 00 plus purchase price per
Item. U S funds only please.

IJG, Inc. 19.')3 W. 11th Street
Upland, California 91786
Phone; 714/946-5805

irSJUSTGREAT!

ATARI TM Warner Communicalions. Inc.

IN THE PUBLIC DOMAIN

r^l

605
610

660
662

664

666
667
668
670
699
700

705
710

711
799
800

803

805

806

810
812
815

820
825

830

840
845
850

1000
1002

1003
1004

1005
1006

1008

NEXT II

H(6)=DJD:P0KE H (6), 9 + 64: LIMIT = LIMIT +
1:1=7: RETURN
REM

P = PEEK(D+1 ):IF P<>197 THEN D = D+1:G0
TO 668

P = PEEK(D-1 ):IF P<>197 THEN D = D-1:G0
TO 667

D = C(E):E=E+1 :GOTO 670
POKE D+ 1,0: POKE D, 4+ 128: GOTO 670
POKE D-1,0:POKE D, 4+128
RETURN

REM CREATE NEW PLACE FOR BEAR
C(B)=SC+INT(349*RND(0))+250:IF PEEK(
C(B))=197 THEN 700
RETURN

C ( E ) =SC+INT ( 349*RND ( 0 '
(C(E))=197 THEN 710
RETURN
REM FIRE

IF SHOT>10 THEN FOR A = 50 TO 80;
0,A,10,10:NEXT A: GOTO 850
SH0T = SH0T+1 :FOR A=1 TO 3:P = PEEK(P0S
-A)

IF P=197 THEN SOUND 0,26.
S-A,5+192:GOTO 850
IF P=135 THEN SOUND 0,50,
40

IF P<>132 THEN 840
IF POS-A=D THEN K(E)=0:GOTO 825
FOR B=1 TO 20:IF POS-A=C(B) THEN K(B
)=0:GOTO 825
NEXT B

FOR S = 26 TO 255 STEP 65: SOUND 0,S,8,
6:S0UND 1 ,S / 4,8,6: NEXT S : KILL = KILL+1
IF B = E OR POS-A=D THEN E=E+1:
GOSUB 460 :D=C(E): GOTO 845
POKE PCS- A, 8+ 128: FOR B=1 TO 15: NEXT B
POKE POS-A,0:NEXT A
SOUND 0,0,0,0:SOUND 1,0,
0,0:FIRE=FIRE+1 : RETURN
GRAPHICS 17: COLOR 1:? #6;
POSITION 0,2:? ff6;"liEI

+250: IF PEEK

SOUND

10, 15: POKE PO
10, 15:G0T0 8

EAGLE'S REVENG

; POSITION

3,5:? #6; "BY JOHN WEBER"

POSITION 8,7:? #6;" 1982"

SOUND 0,200,6, 15: FOR A=1 TO 6: NEXT A:
SOUND 0,0,0,0

IF PEEK (53279) =6 THEN 1099

FOR A=1 TO 4: FOR B=12 TO 4 STEP -0.36:
SOUND 0,200,6,6: NEXT B:NEXT A: SOUND
0,0, 0,0: FOR B=1 TO 10: NEXT B

POSITION 5, 14:? #6;'

START

PRESS

1010

1004

IF PEEK(53279)<>6 THEN
1099 GRAPHICS 1 + 16
2000 REM SET UP CHARACTERS
2005 POKE 77,0
2010 CHSET=(PEEK(106)-8)*256:FOR 1=0 TO 7

:POKE CHSET+ 1,0: NEXT I : RESTORE 2030
2015 READ A: IF A=-1 THEN RETURN

ANTIC, The ATARI Resource

IN THE PUBLIC DOMAIN

FOR 1=0 TO 7:READ B:POKE CHSET+A*8-

B:NEXT I

GOTO 2015

DATA 4 , 66 , 90 , 126 , 60 , 24 , 60 , 36 , 102

DATA 5,8,28,28,62,62,62,126,255

DATA 6 , 4 , 24 , 152 , 127 , 28 , 30 , 255 , 1

DATA 7 , 1 , 255 , 1 , 255 , 1 , 255 , 1 , 255

DATA 8 , 0 , 64 , 128 , 255 , 128 , 64 , 0 , 0

DATA 9,1,254,190,190,34,34,102,0

DATA -1,-1

POKE 53248,0: POKE 53249,0

GRAPHICS 17: COLOR 1

? #6;: POSITION 1,1

IF X>20 THEN ? #6;'

:GOTO 3014
? #6;

O U G 0 T

2020

2025
2030
2035
2040
2045
2050
2055
2060
3000
3005
3010
3011

3012

3014 POSITION 2,3:? #6; "HORSES LOST " ;
DEAD-1 : POSITION 2,5

3015 ? #6;"N0. WOUNDED "; WOUND: POSITIO
N 2,7:? #6;"N0 KILLED " ;KILL:POSITI
ON 2,9:? #6; "ARROWS FIRED " ;FIRE

3018 IF KILL = 0 AND FIRE=0 THEN 3021

3020 POSITION 2,11:? #6;"
% KILL/ FIRE " ;INT
(KILL/FIRE*100)

3021 SOUND 0,200,6, 15: FOR A=1 TO 6: NEXT A:
SOUND 0,0,0,0

3022 FOR A=1 TO 4: FOR B=12 TO 4 STEP -0.36:
SOUND 0,200, 6,8: NEXT

B:NEXT A: SOUND 0,
0,0,0

3023 IF PEEK (53279) =6 THEN GOSUB 1099: GOTO
150

3024 FOR A=1 TO

4: NEXT

3025 POSITION 4,

14:? #6

; "

3030 FOR A=1 TO

2 : NEXT

A:POSITION 4,14:? #

6; "1^21^

S 8 T

A R

T^^^^^^^H

3035 IF PEEK (53279) =6 THEN (

30SUB 1099: GOTO

150

3040 GOTO 3021

TYPO TABLE

Variable checksum =

607358

Line num

range

Code

Length

100

- 205

521

210

- 241

429

300

- 341

532

345

- 413

392

414

- 466

434

468

- 610

531

660

- 711

435

799

- 825

513

830

- 1005

517

1006

- 2035

523

2040

- 3015

526

3018

- 3030

500

3035

- 3040

AREYOUA
SMART BUYER?

$89.95t

For ^09*99 this is a smart buy if you're looking for a place
to store your computer, peripherals, and accessories without
spending a forttme.

□

The CS 1632 computer storage
cabinets compact yet functional
design fits almost anywhere while
housing your computer monitor,
joysticks, software, books and
peripherals all for only $89.95.
The slide out shelf puts the
computer at the right height and
position for easy comfortable
operation.

The fold up locking door keeps
unwanted fingers off the key
board when not in use.
To store joysticks just turn them
upside down and slide them into
the inverted storage rack.
Twist tabs on the back of center
panel allow for neat concealed
grouping of wires, while power
packs rest hidden behind center
panel on shelf

The slide out software tray has room for 14 cartridges or cassettes

and up to 30 diskettes. Most brands of software will fit between the

adjustable partitions with a convenient hook for the spare key at rear.

Stand fits Atari 400 & 800, Conmiodore 64 & VIC 20, Ti 99/4A

and TRS-80.

Cabinet dimensions overall 36" high x 33-7/8" wide x 16" deep.

Cabinet comes unassembled. Assembly requires only a screwdriver,

hammer, and a few minutes of your time.

Choice in sirriulated woodgrain, of warm golden oak or rich natural

walnut finish.

To order CS1632, send $89.95 to:

RQ Box 446 V\fest Unn,OR 97068
Phone orders call, (503) 636-6888

HVTECSystems

Name

Address .
City

- State

-Zip

□ Golden oak finish □ Natural walnut finish

□ My personal check, cashiers check or money order is enclosed,
n Bill my VISA* Exp. Date

□ Bill my Mastercard # Exp. Date

Card Holders Signature

Immediate shipment if in stod^. If persona] ciieck is sent, allow additional 2 weeks.
Prices subject to change. Siiipment subject to availability. Cabinet siiipped unassembled in
2 cartons. Ships UPS frt. collect FOB Portland. Oregon.

June 1983

GAMES DEPARTMENT

Saperdmr^r

by DAN GUTMAN

Despite the fact that the Atari 2600 VCS video game system
resides in at least ten milHon American homes, it is truly a
pathetic machine. Boasting just 128 bytes of RAM
memory, it is one-third as powerful as Intellivision, a
seventh as powerful as ColecoVision, and one 37th as
powerful as the ATARI 800 computer. The graphics are
chunky and the game play severely limited. With so many
more advanced systems on the market, Atari is now prac-
tically giving the VCS away at $90, one-half its original
price.

However, the players who have invested over $200 in
game cartridges (that's just eight games) aren't so quick to
store the VCS in the basement yet. Video game designers,
with an eye on those millions of units out there, have been
forced to use their ingenuity to squeeze every last ounce of
memory and graphic capability out of the Atari VCS.

The most important result of this effort has been the
Supercharger, a product from Starpath (formerly Arcadia)
of Santa Clara, California. It was quite natural for a
memory enhancer like the Supercharger to sprout from the
Atari — its inventors were Bob Brown, ex- Atari Director of
Research, and Craig Nelson, ex- Atari development
engineer.

This is the logic they were working with: Video games
are usually on ROM cartridges. So every time you want to
play a different game you have to plug in a new cartridge.
The only difference between each of these cartridges is the
program — the plastic case, the circuit board and ROM
chips are the same. These redundancies add to the cost of
the cartridge, which can only hold small amounts of data
anyway. How do you bring down the price of individual
games and fit more memory on them?

The ROM memory of a cartridge cannot be changed.
The RAM memory of the Supercharger can. The Super-
charger acts as a memory buffer, accepting data from in-
expensive magnetic tape. So we can have games that cost
$15, compared to about $30 for cartridges. And since the
Supercharger has 6,272 bytes of RAM, compared to just
128 on the VCS, vivid high-resolution graphics and

lengthened playing time are possible. Both problems are
solved.

The Supercharger looks like an elongated cartridge and it
plugs into the cartridge slot on the VCS. A cable runs from
the Supercharger to any standard audio cassette player. You
simply pop a Starpath game into your cassette, hit the play
button and 30 seconds later your game has "moved into"
the Supercharger, which shoots it through the Atari wiring
onto your television screen. The Supercharger sells for
$44.95, including Phaser Patrol, a Star Rfl/ders-like space
game.

Video game designers, with an eye on

those millions of units out there, have

been forced to use their ingenuity to

squeeze every last ounce of memory and

graphic capability out of the Atari VCS.

Amazingly, the software manufacturers that rushed to
make games for the VCS two years ago have not issued a
single game for the Supercharger yet — they are waiting for
it to enter a significant number of homes. Video game
designers may be chomping at the bit to work with those
6,000 bytes, but they must wait until it's economically
feasible.

Starpath, in addition to Phaser Patrol, has six other
games for the Supercharger. Though none of them have
been blockbusters, most of the Starpath games are quite
good. Most observers in the games field feel that, as with
the VCS, it will take a few years for designers to use the
Supercharger to its fullest potential. Right now we have . . .

Communist Mutants From Space — Starpath's biggest
hit, at least partially because of that great title. Pro-
grammed by 19-year-old Steve Landrum, this GalaxianAWt
contest features shields, slow motion, penetrating missiles
and guided missiles.

continued on page 65

ANTIC, The ATARI Resource

Games you can take
home to your mummy.

K) nnd Commodore 64. Tl^ '4A Radio Shack Color

■i-TApp'e //, and IBM-PC are trademarks oj Atari. Inc. ,

^ anrc International, Inc., Texas Instruments, Inc.. Tandij Cor-

Bon. Apple Computer, Inc.. and IBM. Inc., respectively. All

g«mt: titles are trademarks o/ Synapse Software.

tie and cartridge
for the Atari 400/800
comput&v^iliese and other titles avail-
soon for the Commodore 64, the VIC-20,
/4A, Apple n. Radio Shack Color Computer,

and IBM-PC.

5221 Central Avenue ^200, Richmond, CA 94804 • (415) 527-7751

RESTON

CAN

HELP

MAKE

YOUR

COMPUTER

FLY

These three easy-to-read books from Reston can
help turn any beginner into a creative pro-
grammer. You can learn how to play music,
create colorful moving pictures and whiz
through math problems— quickly and easily.
Atari ™PILOT for Beginners, by Jim Conlan and
Tracy Deliman, introduces you to the new PILOT
computer language, designed to do important
things quickly, with fewer commands. Atari™
PILOT Activities and Games, by Herb Kohl,
Ted Kahn, and Dale Disharoon, takes you up
into the world of advanced PILOT program-
ming. And Atari '"Games and Recreation, by
Herb Kohl, Ted Kahn, and Len Lindsay with Pat
Cleland, will have you programming your own
games instead of just playing someone else's.
With Reston, you can rocket right to the top.

Reston Publishing Company™

A Prentice-Hall Company

11480 Sunset Hills Rd. '

Reston, VA 22090

Available at your local bookstore

and computer retailer or call us at

(800) 336-0338.

Atari is a registered trademark of Atari, Inc.

GAMES DEPARTMENT

SUPERCHARGER continued from page 62

Fireball — Similar to Breakout, but you can juggle up to
six balls at once.

Suicide Mission — Asteroids, under the guise of fighting
"deadly killer viruses."

Killer Satellites — Horizontally-scrolling shoot 'em up.
Monitor your temperature and fuel gauges, watch your
radar and by all means avoid those meteor showers.

Dragonstomper and Escape From the Mindmaster —
The first "Multi Load" games. Since Starpath games are on
tape, they can be loaded sequentially — two or more
related games on one cassette, similar to chapters in a
book. Multi Load is to video games what the LP record was
to 45's. Mindmaster and Dragonstomper (also by
Landrum) are complex role-playing adventure games that
contain more data than 16K computer games.

Starpath will issue three more games this summer: a
sports game, a party game and "one that has rabbits in it,"
according to a company spokesperson. Games for the
ATARI 400/800/1200 and other home computers are in
the cards also. Some of these will be translations of games
for the Supercharger.

There is some evidence that players may

he starting to give up their "first
generation" Atari YCS's to buy the "third
generation" ColecoVision, or Atari 5200.

Starpath isn't the only company in the VCS-enhancement
business. In June, Amiga unveils its The Power Module,
which will cost $45 (along with 3-D Ghost Attack and
Depth Charge). Amiga's device, like the Supercharger, has
six Kbytes of RAM (most cartridges have two or four of
ROM). Amiga's games are also on tape and will sell for just
$10. The first batch will be S.A.C. Alert, Strafe, 3-D Havoc
and Scavenger Hunt. According to Amiga, in addition to
3-D games (red-green glasses come with the unit), players
will be able to interface two Power Modules with a modem
and play the same game thousands of miles away from each
other.

There is some evidence that players may be starting to
give up their "first generation" Atari VCS's to buy the "third
generation" ColecoVision, or Atari 5200. Of course, if the
Atari VCS dies, so do the Supercharger and The Power
Module. Starpath and Amiga could very well introduce
products that will juice up the third generation game sys-
tems, but they'd better hurry — Coleco itself is about to
release their "Super Game" unit, a $125 ColecoVision
attachment that will accept game "wafers" containing one
million bits of information! Q

ULTRA
EXCITING

BTIIB ORYenL^

The caverns of the planet, Croga, hold the key to endless
power — Star Crystals that amplify solar energy. To get to
them you have to penetrate the Crogan defenses both on and
under the surface. Once you capture a Crystal, you have to
get it to the surface and go after another Each time it gets
tougher and more exciting. For one or two players. 24K Disl<,
and Joysticl<; 16K Cassette & Joysticl<.

Life in the eerie Muckedoo Swamp can be pretty rough,
particularly if you're a defenseless Gorx, Alligators, snapping
turtles, vampire bats and even ghosts come at you from every
side with one goal — DINNER. But, if you can make it across
the swamp to the feeder station, you'll metamorphose into a
Swamp Chomper who fights and bites back! 1-2 players. 24K
Disk & Joystick; 24K Cassette & Joystick.

AMAZING
FUN DUO

ANDROID challenges you to find your way out of a 5-story
maze despite armed robots, earthquakes and hidden time
bombs. In CAPTIVITY, you race the clock through mazes,
armed with only a map and your robot's 3-D view. Varying
levels of difficulty in each game. 40K Disk & Joystick with
optional voice cassette.

AWARD
WINNING

lo is a great voice-activated arcade game with three
sequential adventures. 1) Navigate the alien minefield. 2)
Defend Moonbase lo. 3) Attack and destroy the mother ship.
Winners get a personal Presidential Commendation from Earth.
24K Disk, Cassette, & Joystick; 16K Cassette & Joystick.

^CBpper

"Aye-Aye, Captain

You're captain of a San Francisco-bound clipper ship in
1850. And you're really in charge! You pick vessel, cargo,
crew and course. Then, use your skills to overcome storms,
icebergs, illness, delays, doldrums, mutiny and more. A voice-
narrated high-adventure. 32K Disk, optional voice cassette,
& Joystick; 24K Cassette & Joystick.

Available at leading stores or direct from PDI. atari is a trademark oi Atari, inc

Program Design, Inc. 95 East Putnam Avenue, Greenwich, CT 06830

June 1983

SU^n^ Monsiers Is No Game

Role-playing games arc a serious business. They require thought and strategy, skill and luck. But the programmers of computer
role-playing games haven't taken them seriously enough. Until now. Now ScreenPlay"* does role-playing right —
the Warrior of RAS"* scries. Each volume of the Warrior of RAS™ series is completely different from the others.

Dunzhin leaves you in a multi-level maze of rooms, full of traps, treasures, and

dangerous monsters. Volume II, Kaiv, places
^^.^^^""^ youi" warrior in a cavern, complete with
magic, bats, cave-ins, and dozens of objects
to buy, collect and use to survive. Each
^^ Warrior of RAS™ game can generate
millions of unpredictable games.
«- Not just data bases, but new
^ mazes. New caverns. New
challenges.

are some
igs our games
ack. Like endless
^"/O delays while
: computer
s up informa-
tio<*. Or hours
spent poring over
rule books trying to figure
out how to play the game. Or
I boring pauses while the computer
\ tries to figure out what to do next.
\ The Warrior of RAS™ games are fully
' implemented in machine language,

graphics. They're fast, powerful,
and easy to use. Even if you have

never played a role-playing game

before.

Since a Warrior of RAS™ explora-
tion may last many days, games
c^ be saved directly onto your
.-')( tape or disk. And the charac-
itiK ters you develop can also be
lb), saved, and can be loaded
3^ into other Warrior of RAS™
; games. The Warrior of RAS™
; Series was created by Randall
i^Masteller, author of several
on-computer role-playing
^mes.

Re Warrior of RAS™ series,
/hy settle for anything
" less?

dragon*

The Warrior of RAS'" games require 48K. Z^ ^^3k

Available on cassette or disk for the TRS-80 Volume I DUNZHI^^^pe or Disk $39.95

Model I/Ill and Atari 400/800. Available on Volume II KAIV Ttie or Disk $39.95

disk for the Apple II Plus. Available on -„^|yaK|t „, _■_, .s« «« r * .. .

cassette for the Commodore 64. H^Ml Please add $2.00 for first class postage

-. ,, $4.00 for overseas order.

"^^^^nlPlOy™ P.O. BOX 3558 CHAPEL HILL, NC 27514

TO ORDER, CALL: 1-800-334-5470, or sec your dealer.

Apple, Atari, TRS-80 and Commodore 64 are trademarks of Apple Computer, Inc., Warner Communications, Inc., Tandy Corporation, and Commodore, respectively.

NEW PRODUCTS

COLOR-I PLUS

(color monitor)

AMDEK CORP.

2201 Lively Blvd.

Elk Grove Village, IL 60007

(312) 364-1180

$449.00

COLOR-1 PLUS features a non-glare
screen for improved color perception and
reduced eye-strain. A headset is furnished
and the unit's speaker is automatically cut
off when the headset jack is inserted.
Superior line resolution, 260(H), 300(V),
is provided on the 13" CRT. The
COLOR-1 PLUS accepts a composite
video signal to produce richly colored
graphics or text.

STOCK UTILITY

(utility)

Janpro Products
RO. Box 1028
Ontario, CA 91762
(714) 983-3817
16K — Cassette
24K — Diskette
$19.95

This program plots stock prices or other
values entered into a vertical line chart.
You can make hard copies of a stock at
regular intervals (weekly, monthly) and
can tape them side by side to form an
endless chart — useful in tracking a
stock. It has a chart range of 11.5 points
or $11.50 with Vz point (50c) increments.

HYPERCARTRIDGE

(hardware)

Chameleon Computing
Aardvark Enterprises, Inc.
Service Center Box 119
Dickinson College
Carlisle, PA 17013
(717) 245-1717
$39.00

Hobbyists with suitable EPROM equip-
ment can make ROM cartridges at home
with this 16K cartridge. Comes with four
low-profile sockets for 24-pin ROMs or
EPROMs (chips not included). Two con-
figurations possible: (1) with any com-
bination of 2532 EPROMs and 2332
ROMs, or (2) with two ATARI ROM's
and two 2532 EPROMS or 2332 ROMs.

CRISIS MOUNTAIN

(game)

Synergistic Software

830 North Riverside Dr., Suite 201

Renton, WA 98055

(800) 426-6505

40K — Diskette

$34.95

Arcade game mirrors life, as terrorist
plants nuclear bomb in active volcano.
Players attempt to defuse it. Levels in-
clude such obstacles as boulders, lava,
and a radioactive bat.

COMPUTE'S FIRST BOOK OF
ATARI GRAPHICS

(book)

COMPUTE! Books
RO. Box 5406
Greensboro, NC 27403
$12.95

Few computers on the market match
atari's graphic capabilities and this
book highlights original as well as pub-
lished material for the ATARI user.
Tutorials for the beginner and programs
for the advanced make this a well-
balanced publication for any ATARI
owner.

ATARI SUPERLEDGER

(accounting program)

High Country Software Systems

9551 Green Court

Westminster, CO 80030

(303) 427-9036

48K — Diskette

$249.00

This is a small-scale general purpose
ledger program designed to handle input
of numbers no larger than $999,999.99.
Professional accountants and amateurs
who want to keep accurate records can use
this simple bookkeeping system. It creates
ledger files for up to 300 accounts.

THE MONEY PROCESSOR

(personal finance program)
Luck Software
1160 Niblick Road
Paso Robles, CA 93446
48K — Diskette
$80.00

Retire your pencil and calculator and
handle all your personal accounts with
this easy-to-use accounting program. A
menu-driven electronic worksheet, it
allows you to get grand totals of all your
financial transactions.

BUSIPAK-I

(business program)
Elcomp Publishing, Inc.
RO. Box 1194
Pomona, CA 91769
(714) 623-8314
48K — Diskette
$98.00

Complete package for the small business.
Busipak includes a format for creating a
mailing list, and can be used for order
entry, inventory control and invoicing.

ATARI BASIC QUICK
REFERENCE GUIDE

(reference card)

John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

605 Third Avenue

New York, NY 10158

(212) 850-6000

$2.95

Instant information about ATARI BASIC
is printed on this 6" x 12" fold-out card
that can sit beside your computer.

June 1983

NEW PRODUCTS

A.E.

(game)

Broderbund Software

1938 Fourth St.

San Rafael, CA 94901

(415) 456-6424

48K — Diskette

$34.95

The A.E. are coming! Beware! Squadrons
of menacing sting rays are streaking down
from the sky to attack you. You're
doomed to be pestered forever unless you
drive the A.E. away (A.E. is Japanese for
"sting rays"). It's a fast-paced arcade
game with eight levels of play that can be
played with joystick or paddle.

MAGNUM ISOLATOR

(electrical control)
Electronic Specialists
171 South Main Street
Natick, MA 01760
(617) 655-1532
$200.95

Noise, spikes, hash and pollution from
power lines, lightning, heavy machinery
and computer peripherals are suppressed
and eliminated for safe, smooth program
operation. Features four individually
filtered AC sockets. Equipment inter-
actions are eliminated and disruptive or
damaging power-line pollution is con-
trolled. Handles up to 1875 watts.

WITNESS

(game)

Infocom, Inc.
55 Wheeler St.
Cambridge, MA 02138
(617) 492-1031
32K — Diskette
$49.95

What happened on that February night in
1983? Was it a suicide, an accident, or
. . . ? You are the gumshoe, with only 12
hours to solve the mystery. A well-defined
cast of characters attempts to embroil you
in the plot. INTERLOGIC, with a 600-
word vocabulary, lets players use whole
sentences, store lots of info, and obtain
faster reponses.

MUSIC MAJOR

(educational program)

Educational Software, Inc.

4565 Cherryvale Ave.

Soquel, CA 95073

(408) 476-4901

32K — Cassette or Diskette

$39.98

Fundamentals of music are taught in com-
prehensive lessons designed for all learn-
ing levels. Exercises also contain a teach-
ing mode, and a quiz-master utility
generates tests. Manual serves as study
guide and reference book.

MILES ORDER/ENTRY
INVOICING MODULE

(invoice /order program)

Miles Computing

7136 Haskell Ave., #204

Van Nuys, CA 91406

(203) 994-6279

48K — Diskette

$79.95

This package can be fully integrated with
Atari's Bookkeeper program and auto-
matically posts information to the Atari
software. It is designed for the entry of
sales orders and shipping data, and will
print invoices, keep address records, and
generate back-order reports.

MILLIONAIRE

(game)

Blue Chip Software

19824 Ventural Blvd., Suite 125

Woodland Hills, CA 91364

(213) 881-8288

48K — Diskette

$79.95

Learn how to invest your money with this
popular simulation of stock market trans-
actions. This complex game is fun and
educational. Your object, of course, is to
become a millionaire by playing the stock
market and the game can be enjoyed by
novice or experienced investors.

THE HOME ACCOUNTANT

Continental Software

112233 South Hindry Avenue

Los Angeles, CA 90045

(203) 417-3003

(800) 421-3930 (orders)

48K — Diskette

$74.95

This top-selling financial management
system is now available for the ATARI
computers. It can perform a variety of
accounting functions — from balancing
several checkbooks to monitoring cash
flow, checks, credit cards, assets, liabili-
ties, income and expenses, as well as
printing statements.

DISKED

(utility)

Amulet Enterprises

RO. Box 25612

Garfield Heights, OH 44125

(216) 475-7766

24K — Diskette

$89.95

These utility programs can view and edit
the contents of any sector in hex, decimal
or character (ATASCII or screen code).
Also disassembles programs into 6502
mnemonics using virtual addressing. You
can recover deleted files, map used and
crashed sectors, copy any sector or block
of sectors, and move cassette files onto
disk or back to cassette.

ANTIC, The ATARI Resource

ATARI® 400 or 800 OWNERS

INTRODUCE YOURSELF TO THOUSANDS OF NEW PROGRAMS

PLUG IN A FLOPPY DISK DRIVE FOR LESS THAN

$550.00

There are thousands of programs available only for computers with floppy disk drives. Micro Mainframe
is proud to introduce our floppy disk drive system for the Atari® 400 and 800 computer systems. Our
disk system provides the best features at the lowest price available.

STANDARD FEATURES:

• Comes complete and ready to run*

• Double density operation without patches to Atari® DOS
■• Single or double density operation software or hardware selectable

• Printer port for standard Centronics parallel printers
Eliminates the need for the 850 Expansion Interface
4K Printer spooler expandable to 38K

• Can be used with all your current Atari® peripherals

• Add additional drives for less than $300.00

• Supports double sided and 8" floppy disk drives**

• MMF hard disk expansion drives available

• Reads all protected software disks

• Digital Phase Locked Loop Data Separation ^ . *.^*-

• 90 Day factory warranty '^

With the addition of our expansion box, you can turn our disk drive into a full 64K Z-80® computer tising
your Atari® as a color terminal allowing you these additional features:

• Run CP/M® software

• Run TRS-80 Model II® software

• Run Oasis® software

• Full 64K Z-80® computing power

• Multiuser operation***

YOU'LL AGREE WITH EVERYBODY ELSE THAT MICRO MAINFRAME IS YOUR BEST BUY IN
PERIPHERALS FOR YOUR ATARI® 400 OR 800

Q> (O 2 V^ E

Dealer Inquiries are Solicited

MICROMAINFRAME

11325 Sunrise Gold Circle, Bid. A

Rancho Cordova, CA 95670

(916)635-3997

c CO ra m CO

O '°

Atari® DOS required

Requires Maxi-DOS A® (available mid '83)
' Requires Oasis® Software

Price and specifications subject to change without notice.

THE ULTIMATE IN COPY PROTECTION FOR ATARI SOFTWARE

NOW YOU CAN PROTECT YOUR SOFTWARE FROM UNSCRUPULOUS p|pHJ£g

ATARr SOFTXA/ARE
PROTECTIOIM TECHNIQUES

thoroughly explains the copy techniques used by advanced soft-
ware pirates. YOU can avoid the common protection pitfalls with
instruction in the state of the art of software protection schemes.
This HOW-TO BOOK & PROGRAM includes:

HIDING DISK DIRECTORIES
WRITING BAD SECTORS
MISASSIGNING SECTORS

(CUSTOM FORMATTING)

HARDWARE DATA-KEYS
EPROM & ROM CARTRIDGES

for book and disk
software

for book only

DISK PACKiaOO ?A^'KA°i^c^jrik

ULTIMEIMU -The ultimate in userfriendly disk menus. Put on a disk and this seif
booting program displays ail files and automatically runs the one
you select. If even runs most BINARY LOAD FILES from basic.
BACK-A- DISK-Lets you back up almost anything with SECTOR-COPIER &

BAD SECTOR WRITER.
DISKTIME - Its a disk timer that graphically shows disk's RPfvl's.
SCREEN OUMPER - This allows you to transfer any graphic display to a disk.

then reproduce it anytime in seconds.
COLOR FIX- Helps adjust your TV to show the right colors and hues for your
computer.

This Utility disk package for your Atari" is better ^^^i «»%|— *
than those costing 3 times the price, dimly Sp IMiaSO

Send CHECK or f\/IONEY ORDER fo^

ALPHA SYSTEMS

4435 MAPLEPARK RD

STOW, OHIO, 44SS4

Or charge to your tylASTERCARD or VISA by calling-

tans) 374-7463

'include $2.00 for shipping S handling /Ohio residents add 6^2% fax

ILPHA

Systems

Irademark ol Warn

BASIC COMPILER

AND ASSEMBLER

FOR ATARP
& COMMODORE 64

THE BASM BASIC COMPILER AND ASSEMBLER FOR
ATARI/COMMODORE 64 produces programs that run up to
130 titnes faster than Atari/Commodore BASIC. Uses the
syntax of BASIC with ASSEMBLY LANGUAGE data types and
addressing modes. Has the efficiency of ASSEMBLY, but cuts
program development time by 2 to 3 times. Produces highly
efficient ROMable binary files. Programming features; IF-
ELSE-ENDIF; WHILE-ENDWHILE; DEF-ENDDEF. Utility
libraries; graphics; disc access: debugging aid. Editor in-
cluded. Block-structured capability. Eases the transition from
BASIC to ASSEMBLY LANGUAGE programming. Eliminate
the tedium of calculating the logistics of ASSEMBLY Syntax.
In-line standard 6502 ASSEMBLER. The next step in the
evolution of the small computer BASIC language.
Available soon for APPLE //'*
Dealer inquiries invited.

BASM requires 32K, disk. Price $99.95 plus $2.00 for shipping
(add $1 .50 for C.O.D.). In Calif, add 6/2% tax. Specif., Atari or
Commodore. Send check or money order to:

COMPUTER ALLIANCE

21115 Devonshire St., H 1 32A, Chatsworth, CA 91 31 1 / (21 3) 368^4089

'S GET DOWN TO BUSINESS

SERIOUS

SOFTWARE

FOR

ATARI®

COMPUTERS

SALES: PROFiTS

"30

^.^

■-

^-^

^J>

rr^5

,"'

...

--■

■^•^

Zi-

FORECASTER $49.00

Forecast future events based on past information.
Forecast profits, costs, sales trends, prices, test
scores, virtually anything. Edit, save on disk and
test various elements to determine the outcome.
FORECASTER is a powerful "what if" program - a
must for business. 24K

MONEY MANAGER $29.00

The program answers virtually any questions
concerning the cost of money, loans, and interest
earned on savings, loans and investments. Plus,
this program will give a complete interest earned
table and amortization table. This program is a
must for anyone serious about money. 32K.

DESK SET $39.00

DESK SET is a perpetual calendar, an appointment
calendar and also a card file. The perpetual calen-
dar is a calendar of every month, past, present or
future. The appointment calendar allows up to 15
entries to be made each day. The card file is a mail
list program which holds up to 200 addresses. The
printing format of card file includes continuous lists,
labels or envelopes. Files can be printed; all the
files from one file number to another; by zip code;
by state or by selected files. DESK SET is an easy
way to organize your life. 40K

STAT PLUS $49.00

STAT PLUS is the most powerful statistic tool we
have seen. Run sample space, mean, variance and
standard deviation. Do probabilities using binomial,
poisson or normal distribution. Also, do students'
t-tesl, lyiann- Whitney U test and Chi Square. Do
linear regressions; may use 1-12 independent vari-
ables. Interact a sample from one module to
another, edit, rank and print out. 24K min.

The Programmers Workshop

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Lakewood, CA90712

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TO ORDER: VISA/IVIasterCard, check or
money order accepted. If charge, please In-
clude expiration date of card. Add $1.50 for
shipping and handling. California residents add
sales tax. Phone or nnail.

ATARI is a registered trademark of Warner Communications

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CORR

Amdek

your guide to innovative computing!

EDUCATION

There are several different techniques for presenting educa-
tional material via computer. Far too often, the presenta-
tion turns out to be a reading assignment off the display
screen. Text books are far better media for this technique.
Computers have the ability to display charts, graphics and
illustrations dynamically.

Line drawings in text books are static. The text refers to
these line drawings to enhghten the reader about the topic
being discussed. How often have you looked at some text
book drawing that is full of imposing lines and dots? The
text had referred you to this drawing because of the ob-
vious trend of some line. You say to yourself, "What trend?
Perhaps it's obvious to the author, but it's sure not obvious
to me!".

If, on the other hand, you were able to first see the dots
and then watched as the line was being drawn, then it
would be obvious. Computers can do this task very nicely.
My suggestion to the educational software developer is to
use text to enlighten the viewer about the drawing and not
the other way around.

The example program presented here is an astronomy
quiz. Dots are plotted to represent a star arrangement and
lines are drawn (connecting the stars) for their appropriate
constellation. The example could easily have been a graph
of GNP or stock charting, but I preferred to demonstrate
something that was a little less abstract and a little more
down to earth. Hmm, scratch that.

When you run the program you will see the title display
screen and a bell will ring; class is in session. The program
will ask you a question and give three possible answers for
you to choose from. Select any one and you will imme-
diately find out whether you were correct or not. Your
answer is displayed as an arrangement of stars. The pro-
gram will pause here to allow you to read the additional
material, press any key to continue. The program will auto-
matically continue on after 45 seconds; just in case you
didn't read the instructions.

20
22

23
24

28
29
30

40
50
60
80
99
100
110

115
118

120

121

REM . *** MAIN PROGRAM ***

DIM GUESSIS ( 60 ) , GUESS2$ ( 40 ) , GUESS3$ ( 4

0 ) , ASK1 $ ( 40 ) , ASK2$ ( 80 ) , STAR ( 20 , 2 )

RIGHT=0:WRONG = 0:TOTAL = 0

LIGHT=10:MEDIUM = 6:DARK=0:GREEN=12:

RED=4:YELL0W=1 :

BLACK=0:BLUE=7

PAUSE=5100:NOISE=5000:

BUZZ=5050 : TWINKLE=5200 : WAIT=51 50 : QUIZ

=100:ERROR=

5300: SGORE=200

:INTRO=6000

:START=23

CURSOR = 752 : OUT= 1 : ATTRACT = 77 : UNTOUC

H = 255 : RESPONSE=764 : OFF=0 : KEYBOARD =

53775 :DRAW = 7000

WIND0W = 2 : TEXT= 1 : TEXTCAPS = 0 : BACKGRN

D = 4 : BACKTEXT=2 : SMALL = 0 : AVERAGE= 1 :

LARGE=2:PICTURE=7

VOICE0 = 0:PURE=10:NORMAL = 8

TRAP 80:GOSUB INTRO

FOR OUESTION=1000 TO 1400 STEP 100:

TOTAL=INT( QUESTION/ 100-9):GOSUB QUI

Z:POKE ATTRACT, OUT

NEXT QUESTION

GOSUB SCORE

GOTO START

T0TAL=T0TAL-1 : GOSUB SCORE

GOTO START

REM . * * * QUIZ ***

GRAPHICS SMALL: POKE CURSOR , OUT: SETC

OLOR BACKTEXT, BLACK, DARK :SETCOLOR T

EXT, BLACK, LIGHT

RESTORE QUESTION: READ ASK1$,ASK2$

POSITION 0,0:? #6;"QUESTI0N NUMBER " ;

TOTAL;" NUMBER CORRECT " ; RIGHT

POSITION 0, 1:? #6;ASK1$

POSITION 0,2:? #6;ASK2$

125 RESTORE QUESTION + 30: READ GUESS1$,C0

continued on page 74

ANTIC, The ATARI Resource

//>//#3

RESTON

TURNS

COMPUTER

LEARNING

INTO

CHILD'S

PLAY

Today, learning about computers is part of
growing up. And two new books from Reston
take kids beyond arcade-style shoot-
'em-ups and into real computer program-
ming. Rainy Day Activities for the
Atari'", by Nancy Mayer, is designed to
introduce younger children to computer
fun. Kids and The Atari™, by Edward H.
Carlson, takes 10-14 year-olds from the
fundamentals to complete mastery of
BASIC programming. Both feature lively
illustrations and simple writing to let kids
use them by themselves — with special
notes to let parents and teachers
help out.

Reston Publishing Company

A Prentice-Hall Company

i> -^..v-. -'^— .:rX3»»t=a 11480 Sunset Hills Rd.

%i^£Sr.. WB^a^ Restan, VA 22090

Available at your local
bookstore and computer
retailer or call us at

(800) 336-0338.

Atari is a registered
trademark of Atari, Inc.

EDUCATION

130 POSITION
140 POSITION

160

STARGAZING continued from page 72

NST1 , GUESS2$ , C0NST2 , GUESS3$ , C0NST3 , 0
ORRECT

1,5:? #6;GUESS1$
1,7:? #6;GUESS2$
150 POSITION 0,9:? #6;GUESS3$
155 POSITION 0.16:? #6;

PRESS jaMMsB^ key to OUIT"

KEY=PEEK ( KEYBOARD ) : IF KEY = UNTOUCH
HEN 160

IF PEEK (RESPONSE) =31 THEN ANSWER=1
GOTO 170

IF PEEK (RESPONSE) =30 THEN ANSWER = 2
GOTO 170

IF PEEK(RESPONSE)=26 THEN ANSWER = 3
GOTO 170
166 IF PEEK (RESPONSE) =39 THEN QUESTION = Q
UESTION~100:TOTAL=TOTAL-1 :GOTO SCORE

169 GOTO ERROR

170 POSITION 15,12:IF ANSWER = CORRECT THE
N ? #6:"KlJKi" :GOSUB NOISE:
RIGHT=RIGHT+1:G0T0 190

175 ? "l^^gU^HIl^BHSHfeilSBSU

'■ :GOSUB BUZZ

190 GOSUB DRAW

191 ? :? :? :? " PRESS ANY KEY TO CONTI
NUE"

199 GOSUB WAIT: RETURN

200 REM . *** SCORE ***

210 GRAPHICS AVERAGE:POKE CURSOR , OUT: SE
TCOLOR BACKGRND , GREEN , DARK : SETCOLO
R WINDOW, GREEN, DARK
SETCOLOR TEXT, YELLOW, MEDIUM

161

162

163

211

215

WRONG=TOTAL

220

POSITION 0,0:

230

POSITION 0,1:

240

POSITION 0,3:

250

POSITION 0,4:
LY"

260

POSITION 0,6:
/TOTAL)* 100)

RIGHT
#6; "YOU ANSWERED "
#6 ; TOTAL ; " OUESTIONS"
#6; RIGHT;" CORRECTLY"
#6; WRONG;" INCORRECT

#6;INT((RIGHT
PERCENT!!!!"
265 REM . SELECT APPROPRIATE RESPONSE
270 RESTORE INT ( RIGHT / TOTALIS) * 10 + 500: RE

AD GUESS1$
275 REM . PUT RESPONCE INTO A STRING
280 POSITION 0,9:? #6;GUESS1$
290 ? " PRESS ANY KEY TO CONTINUE"

299 GOSUB WAIT: RETURN
500 DATA BETTER LUCK NEXT TIME
510 DATA NOT TOO GOOD, BUT YOU'RE LEA

RNING!"
520 DATA NICE TRY!
530 DATA GOOD JOB!
540 DATA VERY GOOD!!
550 DATA EXCELLENT!! THAT'S ALMOST A PER

FECT SCORE.
560 DATA TREMENDOUS!! THAT'S A PERFECT SC

ORE!!
1000 REM .** QUESTION NO . 1 **
1010 DATA What is the giant constellation in the

1020
1030

1050
1060
1100
1110
1120
1130
1140
1150
1160
1200
1210
1220
1230
1240
1250
1260
1300
1310

7120

sky is called

DATA southeastern skies during the winter?
DATA 1

7100040 DATA 2.
7110
DATA
DATA
REM
DATA
DATA
DATA
DATA
DATA
DATA
REM
DATA
DATA
DATA
DATA
DATA
DATA
REM
DATA

S C O R P I U S,
ORION

URSA MAJOR

** QUESTION NO. 2 **

Which star of the winter

the Dog Star?

,7130
7140

S I R I U S

VEGA.

ARCTURUS

7150

** QUESTION NO. 3 **

What constellation name is also the

name of a galaxy?

T
A

L
A
N

E
U
D

A
U
0

D E
SI
M

B,71E

7260

EDA

7170

** QUESTION NO. 4 **
What consteilation forms a lazy W or
1320 DATA depending on when you look at it?

7180

1330
1340
1350
1360
1400
1410
1420
1430
1440
1450
1460
5000

5050

5100
5150
5160

5170
5200

5299

5300

6000
6003

6004

DATA
DATA
DATA
DATA
REM
DATA
DATA
DATA
DATA
DATA
DATA

FOR PITCH
CE0, PITCH

CASSEOPEIA

GEMINI.

AURIGA

7190
7200

1 .
2,
3,
1
. ** QUESTION NO. 5 **
Which constellation is the shape of a
question mark, or sickle?
1. lll:M!tWkfiBMIM«in .7120
2.
3.
3

= 200 TO 2 STEP -3: SOUND VOI
PURE, NORMAL: NEXT PITCH: SO

RSA MAJOR

A U R U SIO^H

l:Ma.7210

UND VOICE0,OFF,OFF,OFF:RETURN

FOR PITCH = 50 TO 255 STEP 3: SOUND VOIC

E0, PITCH, PURE, NORMAL: NEXT PITCH:

SOUND VOICE0,OFF,OFF,OFF:RETURN
FOR TIME=0 TO 300: NEXT TIME: RETURN
FOR TIME = 0 TO 50:NEXT TIME:TIME=0
KEY=PEEK( KEYBOARD): IF KEY = UNTOUCH A

ND TIME<2000 THEN TIME=TIME+1 : GOTO 5

160

FOR TIME=1 TO 3:NEXT TIME:RETURN

FOR FLASH=1 TO 100: SOUND VOICE0,40,P

URE, NORMAL: HUE = RND(0)* 16: LUMIN = HUE:

SETCOLOR TEXTCAPS,HUE,LUMIN

SOUND VOICE0, 15, PURE, NORMAL: NEXT FL

ASH : SOUND VOICE0 , OFF , OFF , OFF : RETURN
? "OOPS THAT'S THE WRONG KEY" : GO

SUB NQISE:GOTO QUIZ
REM . ***INTRODUCTION***
GRAPHICS AVERAGE: POKE CURSOR, OUT:SE

TCOLOR BACKGRND , YELLOW , DARK : SETCOL

OR WINDOW, YELLOW, DARK

SETCOLOR TEXT,YELLOW, MEDIUM: SETCOLO

R TEXTCAPS, GREEN, MEDIUM

continued on page 76

ANTIC, The ATARI Resource

PftOGARm/TDM

Compare the Choices on Atari Software

PftOGRAm/TDA€

SAVE THE
SEVEN SEAS [fi

From Thorn EMI L&hI

Remove deadly nuclear waste from the seabed!
Noxious rays turn harmless sea creatures to
fearsome monsters in isotope induced agony.
One or two players dodge the mutated monsters
and pilot the ship through polluted waters to
locate and retreive canisters. Take care, you're
followed by radiation hungry octopuses!

ROM Cartridge, $49.95

ZAXXON

From DataSoft

The official Zaxxon, now for home use, combines
3 dimensional effects, unique color graphics and
realistic sound effects. Arcade action while you
maneuver your ship through a battlefield of enemy
missiles, tanks and planes to meet your match in
the deadly Zaxxon Robot armed with a lethal hom-
ing device.

16K Tape or Disk, $39.95

SEA
DRAGON

By Wesfmoreland & Oilman from
Adventure

Underwater adventure is yours as you command
a nuclear sub armed with deadly missiles and tor-
pedoes. Guide it carefully through sea mines and
underwater mountains; watch out for depth
charges being fired by overhead ships . . . and
don't run out of air! Scrolling sea bottom for added
excitement. ^«

32KDisk,JS34:95 $29.71 c^V
SALE 15% OFF ^"^

TIL JUNE 30

ORCAHACK

From Thorn EMI

Save the castle from the ORG siege. Ore archers
direct a hail of crossbow bolts as they scale the
walls but you pelt them with rocks and counter
the gruesome attack with your trusty broadsword.
Realistic animation and fast action make this
lively combat game unique and visually
entertaining.

ROIUI Cartridge, $49.95

^-NEVER BEFORE!

Never before have there been
COLOR DISKS! Never before
have we advertised blank
DISKS! But these are so
special...

INTRODUCING

COLOR
DISKEHES

Bright and bold! Premium quality mini diskettes in
5 brilliant colors: red, orange, yellow, blue, green.
Single sided, soft sectored, double density with
hub rings. Use them just for beauty or to color
code your programs and data!

Box of 10 — all one color or
Box of 10— 2 each color
$34.50 Box

REAR GUARD

By Neil Larimer from Adventure Int.

A space battle between your cruiser and wave-
after-wave of enemy ships. You can destroy them
with your energy darts or you can ram them — as
long as your shields are intact. The action takes
place on a continuous horizontal landscape. You
control the altitude and speed of your craft as you
pursue the enemy Skill level 1 is exciting, and
there are four more levels available. ^|

16K Tape, *»«:<rS $16.96 %^A^'
24K Disk, ^M^rS" $21.21
SALE 15% OFF TIL JUNE 30

KIDS AND THE ATARI

from Resion
Softcover book, $19.95

MAPPING THE ATARI

from Compute!
Softcover book $14.95

GAMES FOR THE ATARI

By Elcomp
Softcover book, $7.95

DELTA
DRAWING

By Computer Access Corporation
From Spinnaker Software

Children create stunning graphics! Kids learn
programming and create colorfu! drawings on
screen using single keystroke commands to con-
trol the Delta cursor Drawings are stored as
programs and can be used to create complex
pictures, patterns and designs. Save drawings on
disk or graphics printer. Simple and easy to pro-
duce computer graphics for ages 4 to 14. You
don't have to read, write, or even know English!

48K Disk, $59.95

LANGUAGE
TEACHER

By Cindy and Andrew Bartorillo from
Acorn

Learn the basics of a foreign language. LAN-
GUAGE TEACHER offers hundreds of word com-
binations, verb conjugations and phrases. There
is an option for having multiple-choice answers
and for being retested on missed items. Full
printer capability and a great deal of "human en-
gineering" further enhance the programs.
Teachers will appreciate the ample documenta-
tion and the ability to get printouts of quizzes. Cur-
rently available languages are: French, Spanish,
Italian and German.

32K Disk, $29.95

for each program.

Over 2500 Programs for TRS-80,

For Information Call
202-363-9797

Visit our other stores:

829 Bethel Rd., Columbus OH

Seven Corners Center, Falls Church, VA

W. Bell Plaza, 6600 Security Blvd., Baltimore. MD

White Flint Mall, Rockville Pike, Rockville, Md.

^4^

BUG OFF

By Sparky Storks

From Adventure International

This is one game that will bug you! Wacky
arcade-style machine language game for one or
two players. Your garden has fallen into a Florida
sinkhole where weird forces have mutated a bevy
of bugs into a contingent of killers. Control the
seven types of bugs using DDT on the pesky
pests! You'll enjoy these bugs in your computer!
Graphics oriented, real-time action with great
sound.

16KTapeor32KDisk,J$39;«S $25.46

SALE 15% OFF TIL JUNE 30

ATARI 400/800, APPLE, IBM & VIC 20.

imi/ I \i

PROGRflm /TXIR6

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Philadelphia and Pittsburgh.

T.M.

To Order Call Toll-Free
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MAIL ORDERS: Send check or M.O. for total pur-
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© 1982 The Progrann Store, Inc. F^iPPl hSb

THE PROGRAM STORE • Dept. 02-06-3 • Box 9582 • 4200 Wisconsin Ave., N.W., Washington, D.C. 20016

Item

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Price

Postage $2.00 Name

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EDUCATION

STARGAZING continued from page 74

6005 POSITION 0,1:? #6; "self teaching series"
6010 POSITION 0,7:? #6;" A WINTER"

6020 POSITION 0,9:? #6;" ASTRONOMY"

6030 POSITION 0,11:? #6;" 0 U I Z"

6060 ?:?:?" by Thomas M. Krischan" ;

6070 GOSUB PAUSE

6080 GOSUB TWINKLE

6081 ? :? :? :? " PRESS ANY KEY TO BEG
IN."

6099 GOSUB WAIT: RETURN

7000 REM .*** DRAWING ***

7010 GRAPHICS PICTURE: TRAP 7099: POKE CURS

OR , OUT : SETCOLOR TEXTCAPS , RED , MEDI UM :

SETCOLOR TEXT, BLACK, LIGHT
7015 SETCOLOR WINDOW , BLUE, 2 : SETCOLOR BA

CKGRND, BLACK, DARK

7021 IF ANSWER=1 THEN C0NST = C0NST1

7022 IF ANSWER = 2 THEN C0NST = C0NST2

7023 IF ANSWER = 3 THEN C0NST=C0NST3

7029 REM . ***BLUE STARS***

7030 RESTORE CONST: FOR 1=1 TO 20: READ X,Y
: STAR ( I , 1 ) =X : STAR ( I , 2 ) =Y : IF X>0 THEN
NEXT I

7035 COLOR 3: FOR 1 = 1 TO 20: IF STAR(I,1)>0
THEN PLOT STAR (1,1), STAR (1,2): NEXT I

7036 REM . ***RED STARS***

7040 RESTORE C0NST+1:F0R 1=1 TO 20 : READ X
, Y : STAR ( I , 1 ) =X : STAR ( I , 2 ) =Y : IF X>0 TH
EN NEXT I

7041 COLOR 1:F0R 1 = 1 TO 20: IF STAR(I,1)>0
THEN PLOT STAR (1,1), STAR (1,2): NEXT I

7044 REM . ***WHITE LINE***

7045 GOSUB CONST: GOSUB WAIT: RESTORE CON
ST + 2:F0R 1 = 1 TO 20: READ X , Y: STAR( 1 , 1 )
=X:STAR(I,2)=Y:IF X>0 THEN NEXT I

7050 COLOR 2: FOR 1 = 1 TO 20: IF STAR(I,1)>0
THEN PLOT STAR (1,1), STAR (1,2): DRAWTO
STAR (1 + 1,1), STAR (1 + 1,2): NEXT I

7099 RETURN

7100 DATA 20,48,24,52,22,54,20,60,24,64,38,
62 , 48 , 52 , 52 , 48 , 64 , 42 , 72 , 38 ,

84 , 24 , 88 ,
28,89,32,88,36,-1,-1

7101 DATA 68,40, -1 ,-1

7102 DATA 20,48,24,52,22,54,20,60,24,64,38,
62 , 48 , 52 , 52 , 48 , 64 , 42 , 68 , 40 , 72 , 38 , 88 , 28 ,
84 , 24 , 88 , 28 , 89 , 32 , 88 , 36 , - 1 , - 1

7105 ? "SCORPIUS is a large constellation inclu
ding the shape of a scorpion's "

7106 ? "tail. It is located in the southern sky dur
ing the sunnmer months. " ;: RETURN

7110 DATA 62,42,62,46,62,50,66,50,68,50,72,
50 , - 1 , - 1

7111 DATA 28 , 44 , 44 , 24 , 84 , 64 , 88 , 40 , - 1 , - 1

7112 DATA 28,44,44,24,84,64,88,40,-1,-1

7115 ? "ORION appears as 4 stars forming a larg
e lazy Z lying on its side with a"

7116 ? "belt of three stars in a close line. A sword
hangs from the belt. " ;: RETURN

7120 DATA 24,36,40,34,54,38,68,44,72,56,92,

56,96,44,-1,-1

7121 DATA -1 ,-1

7122 DATA 24,36,40,34,54,38,68,44,72,56,92,
56,96,44,-1 ,-1

7125 ? "URSA MAJOR (the Big Bear) is often r
eferred to as the Big Dipper.

7126 ? "Actually, the dipper is only a part of Ursa
Major. ";: RETURN

7130 DATA 32,28,44,34,42,40,38,46,52,32,76,
20,84,44,-1 ,-1

7131 DATA 80,32,-1,-1

7132 DATA 38,46,42,40,44,34,32,28,44,34,52,
32,80,32,84,44,-1 ,-1

7135 ? "SIRIUS is the brightest star in the conste
nation Canis Major (Big Dog)

7136 ? "which follows Orion the hunter across the sk
y. " ;: RETURN

7 1 40 DATA 52 , 20 , 60 , 28 , 52 , 36 , 60 , 52 , 68 , 44 , - 1

,-1

7141 DATA 60,20,-1 ,-1

7142 DATA 52,20,60,20,60,28,52,36,60,52,68,
44,60,28,-1 ,-1

7145 ? "VEGA is the brightest star in the conste
nation Lyra. Vega is on the

7146 ? "western horizon and sets shortly aftersundow
n with the deepening of winter" ;: RETURN

7150 DATA 64,16,56,8,44,16,48,40,62,
38,60,38,-1,-1

7151 DATA 60,64,-1,-1

7152 DATA 64,16,56,8,44,16,48,40,60,64,62,
38,64, 16,-1 ,-1

7155 ? "ARCTURUS is the brightest star in the conste
Nation Bootes (called Bear

7156 ? "Driver & Herdsman). It is shaped like a kit
e and is near the Big Dipper " ;: RETURN

7160 DATA 24,24,60,28,70,34,74,36,76,36,80,
38,76,42,72,44,28,52,-1 ,-1

7161 DATA 87,11,89,9,91,7,93,5,95,7,93,9,-

1,-1

7162 DATA 24,24,60,28,70,34,74,36,76,36,80,
38,76,42,72,44,28,52,-1,-1

7165 ? "PLEIADES sometimes called Seven Si
sters appears to the naked eye as a"

7166 ? "group of 6-7 stars that form a tiny dippe
r nearly overhead in January." ;: RETURN

7170 DATA 24,16,52,

28 , 72 , 32 , 92 , 36 , 76 , 40 , 52 , 40 , 20 , 40 , - 1 , - 1

7171 DATA 51,16,52,16,-1,-1

7172 DATA 24,16,52,28,72,32,92,36,76,40,52,
40,20,40,-1 ,-1

7175 ? "ANDROMEDA is a constellation which sh
ares a star with another constell- "

7176 ? " ation called the Great Square of Pegas
us." ;: RETURN

7 1 80 DATA 28 , 28 , 62 , 30 , 74 , 42 , - 1 , - 1

7181 DATA 48,40,80,44,88,
24,-1,-1

7182 DATA 28,28,48,40,62,30,74,42,80,44,88,
24,-1,-1

7185 ? "CASSEOPIA is in the sky during all seas

continued on page 78

ANTIC, The ATARI Resource

DISK WIZARD

A COMPLETE DISK UTILITY PACKAGE AT AIM
AFFORDABLE PRICE

THIS COMPREHENSIVE PACKAGE INCLUDES THE FOLLOWING POWERFUL
PROGRAMS FOR THE ATARI' 800 COMPUTER (MINIMUM: 32 K)

DISK BACK-UP

DISK EDIT

• SINGLE / DOUBLE DENSITY

• REVIEW / MODIFY ANY SECTOR

• SUPPORTS 1 OR 2 DRIVES

• WORKS WITH ALL FORMATS

• ALLOWS BACK-UP OF DISKS
PROTECTED BY BAD SECTORING

• FAST COPY OPTION

• SINGLE / DOUBLE DENSITY

• SECTOR DISPLAY IN HEX AND
ASCII

• SECTOR STATUS SUMMARY

• OPTIONAL PRINTOUT OF SECTOR
STATUS

• SCAN SECTORS FOR A SERIES
OF BYTES OR A STRING

• DECIMAL/ HEX NUMBER CONVERSION

DISASSEMBLER

DISK SPEED

• DISASSEMBLE FROM DISK BY
FILE NAME OR SECTOR NUMBERS

• VERIFIES / ALLOWS ADJUSTMENT
OF DISK SPEED

• OPTIONAL OFFSET

• OUTPUT TO SCREEN OR PRINTER

COMPREHENSIVE MANUAL INCLUDED

$29

ORDERING INFORMATION

For fast delivery, send certified
check or money order. Personal
checks: allow 2 to 3 weeks,
MASTERCARD & VISA accepted.
(Maine Residents add 5% Sales Tax)
Phone orders accepted on C.O.D.
and charges.

•ATARI is a registered Trademark of Atari, Inc,

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YORK, MAINE 03909
(2071 363-3036

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During Arcade Game Play Your Child's
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At Positive Input We Are Aware Of This,
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For $15.00 Your * atari Can Become
The Most Powerful Educational
Tool Your Child Ever Played With.

Addition or
Subtraction

FOR PRE-SCHOOL
TO 6 YEARS

Also Programs For
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CALIE 92677 /-

^ M Including

FOR Catalogue /M reward Game.

Send S.A.S.E -/M

NUERON

CLEARING
THE PATH
TO LEARNING

'ATARI I.S A TR.^DEMARK

OF ATARI, INC.

At Last, A Program to
Test Your
Programming
Potential

Give yourself or your family
the opportunity to be
in demand in the job market.
PASE, Programmer Aptitude Self Evaluation, can allow
you, at home on your own Atari 400 or 800 to measure
your potential for the field of computer programming. For
the first time, this program offers the novice a try at
programming with absolutely no prior computer
experience or knowledge of a computer language.
Presented in a game format, PASE will instruct you
through every step of a first program to give you afeel for
what actual computer programming is like. PASE is
suitable for both adults and children, excluding no one
from discovering their aptitude for a field that has
nowhere to go but up!

$19

For the ATARi;^|^

Home Computer
1 6K Tape

Send Check or money order to

IRIDATA CORPORATION

COMPUTER PROFESSIONALS
3057 College Heights Blvd., Allentown, Pa. 18104
(215)820-9577

PARENTS and TEACHERS

n Classroom Management
and Test Authoring System

• Author and Edit your own multiple
choice Question Banks

• Create Class and Student profiles

• Save results to Disk or Printer

• Average, Display and Print
student results stored on disk

• Comes with three program dis-
kettes and instructions for
creating disks for class files and
question banks

48K Disk

Only $79.95

FOR

ATARI

400/800

Addition, Subtraction,
Multiplication, Division and
operation combinations of:

rj Two-Place Decimals

□ Integers
n Fractions

PRE ALGEBRA
n Positive & Negative Decimals
D Positives, Negative Fractions
D Fractions with Decimals

□ Positives Negative Fractions
with Decimals

32K IJ Disk $24.95

D Cassette $24.95
D All seven moth progroms
SPECIAL $149.95
All Programs do the following:

• Play a Dynomic Game • Give Tests • Disploy Quesrians • Have many Levels of Difficulty • Have
Multiple Choice Format • Raadomly Place the Answer • Develop Test Joking Skills • Are Menu Driven

• Disploy the High ScoreandNomeof Student • Are for Individuol or Group Use

Please check the boxes for the program you want, and send to:

TYSON EDUCATIONAL SYSTEMS, 8922 Palm Tree Lane,

Pembroke Pines, FL 33024 Phone (305) 431-4268

D Check D Visa D Mastercard Deofer /nquiries Invited
Card No. Exp. Date

5ignoture

Name

Address

City/Stote/ZIP

EDUCATION

STARGAZING continued from page 76

ons. It never goes below the
7186 ? "horizon for North American viewers." ;:RET
URN

7190 DATA 104,16,80,20,68,48,108,44,112,56,

-1,-1

7191 DATA 32,24,32,44,-1,-1

7192 DATA 104,16,80,20,32,24,32,44,68,48,10
8,44,112,56,-1,-1

7195 ? "GEMINI (The Twins) is seen primarily as
two bright stars in the eastern

7196 ? "January skies." ;:RETURN

7200 DATA 80,20,88,44,44,52,28,44,25,44,44,
20,46,18,40,14,-1,-1

7201 DATA 32,20,-1 ,-1

7202 DATA 80,20,88,44,44,52,28,44,32,20,44,
20,80,20,-1,-1

7205 ? "AURIGA is roughly the shape of a pent
agon very close to overhead in

7206 ? "January." ;: RETURN

7210 DATA 14,26,20,20,28,20,36,20,42,26,50,
20 , 48 , 14 , 84 , 44 , 80 , 40 , 72 , 48 , 73 , 54 , 80 , 56 ,
92 , 60 , 64 , 80 , 56 , 72 , 53 , 80 , - 1 , - 1

7211 DATA -1,-1

7212 DATA 84,44,80,40,72,48,73,54,80,56,92,
60,64,80,56,72,53,80,-1 ,-1

7215 ? "LEO (The Lion) rises in the east in Janu
ary. To find Leo - imagine a hole"

7216 ? "poked in the bottom of the Big Dipper. The
water falls on the lion's head." ;: RETURN

7220 DATA 36,60,20,60,36,48,84,48,74,38,76,
24,92, 16,102,26,-1,-1

7221 DATA 88,60,-1,-1

7222 DATA 36 , 60, 20,60,36 ,48,36, 60, 88 , 60 , 84 ,
48 , 74 , 38 , 76 , 24 , 92 , 1 6 , 1 02 , 26 , - 1 , - 1

7225 ? "LEO'S major star is Regulus." : RETURN

7260 DATA 24,24,60,28,70,34,74,36,76,36,76,
42 , 72 , 44 , 28 , 52 , 87 , 1 1 , 89 , 9 , 91 , 7 , 93 , 5 , 95 ,
7,93,9,-1 ,-1

7261 DATA 80,38,-1 ,-1

7262 DATA 24,24,60,28,70,34,74,36,76,36,80,
38,76,42,72,44,28,52,-1,-1

7265 ? "TAURUS (The Bull) is a winter con
sfellation shaped somewhat like a "

7266 ? "V with a cluster of stars at the tip" ;:RETU
RN

7270 DATA 62,42,62,46,62,50,66,50,68,50,72,

50,-1,-1

7271 DATA 28,44,27,44,28,43,27,43,43,24,44,
24 , 84 , 64 , 88 , 40 , 87 , 40 , 88 , 41 , - 1 , - 1

7272 DATA 28 , 44 , 44 , 24 , 84 , 64 , 88 , 40 , - 1 , - 1

7275 ? "The four major stars of Orion in orderof their
brightness are 1 . BETELGEUSE"

7276 ? "2.RIGEL 3.BELLATRIX and 4.SAIPH" ;:R
ETURN

7280 DATA 28,28,74,42,-1,-1

7281 DATA 48,40,62,30,63,30,80,43,80,44,80,
45 , 81 , 44 , 81 , 43 , 81 , 45 , 82 , 43 , 82 , 44 , 82 , 45 ,
88 , 23 , 87 , 23 , 88 , 24 , 87 , 24 , - 1 , - 1

7282 DATA 28,28,48,40,62,30,74,42,80,44,88,
24,-1,-1

7285 ? "The four major stars of Casseopeia in or
der of brightness are 1.SCHEDAR "

7286 ? "2.CAPH 3.NAVI and 4. RUCHBAH . " ;: RE
TURN

7290 DATA 24 , 24 , 60 , 28 , 28 , 52 , - 1 , - 1

7291 DATA 80,38,70,34,74,36,76,36,76,42,72,
44 , 87 , 1 1 , 89 , 9 , 9 1 , 7 , 93 , 5 , 95 , 7 , 93 , 9 , - 1 ,
-1

7292 DATA 24,24,60,28,70,34,74,36,76,36,80,
38 , 76 , 42 , 72 , 44 , 28 , 52 , - 1 , - 1

7295 ? "TAURUS contains the Hyades and the PI
eiades clusters. Both are open

7296 ? "clusters containing hundreds of stars." ;:RE
TURN

7300 DATA 104,16,80,20,68,48,108,44,112,56,

-1,-1

7301 DATA 32,24,32,44,-1,-1

7302 DATA 104,16,80,20,32,24,32,44,68,48,10
8,44, 112,56,-1 ,-1

7305 ? "CASTOR and POLLUX mark the heads of
the famous twins." : RETURN

TYPO TABLE

yariable checksum

= 6679647

Line num

range

Code

Length

- 27

578

- 118

311

120

- 166

461

169

- 230

340

240

- 520

439

530

- 1100

338

1110

- 1250

285

1260

- 1430

310

1440

- 5300

469

6000

- 6099

393

7000

- 7041

547

7044

- 7105

565

7106

- 7125

572

7126

- 7145

578

7146

- 7162

542

7165

- 7182

542

7185

- 7205

574

7206

- 7222

521

7225

- 7275

577

7276

- 7292

515

7295

- 7305

322

□

to
ANTIC!

See centerfold insert.

ANTIC, The ATARI Resource

48K AUSTIN BOARD

$ii495

SUGG. LIST

GIVE YOUR ATARI 400'' COMPUTER
THE MEMORY POWER OF AN ATARI 800^

AUSTIN BOARD FEATURES

• Lifetime warranty.

• Worl<s with all hardware and software including all cartridges.

• Custom components for highest reliability.

• Superior CAD/CAM generated P.C. design.

• Complete bank and board de-coupling for cleanest signal possible.

• Gold edge connectors.

• P.C. template provided for easy ATARI 400"" installation.

• Fully tested.

• No system lock-up due to overheating. Uses ^2 the power of other 48K
boards on the market.

• ATARI 800* compatibility with optional loop-back card (available for
$5.00 additional).

$9995 vvith 16K board trade-in

COMING SOON

AUSTIN 80 ^ -An 80 Column color video display
board for the ATARI 800'

Ask for AUSTIN BOARDS " at your local dealer or call

617-772-0352

AUSTIN FRANKLIN ASSOCIATES

43 GROVE STREET, AYER, MA 01432

M/C, VISA & COD ACCEPTED DEALER INQUIRIES INVITED

*ATARI IS A REGISTERED TRADEMARK OF ATARI, INC.

PRODUCT REVIEWS

TYCOON

The Programmers Workshop

5230 Clark Ave., Suite 23

Lakewood, CA 90712

(213) 804-1475

$19.95, 24K — diskette &c cassette

Reviewed by Dave Mentley

The inspiration for Tycoon clearly
came from that famous Parker Brothers
board game — Monopoly. You now
have an alternative to sitting around
the kitchen table at 2 a.m. arguing
whether or not you need four houses
to buy a hotel. With this game you can
sit around the tube and practice trad-
ing stocks, gold and real estate, merely
by putting your thumb to the joystick
button.

Tycoon is a board game written in
BASIC for one to four players. The
computer will play against a single per-
son, or four players can compete if you
have four joysticks. The game code
appears to be well written and totally
crashproof, however there are a few
typos in the screen presentation.

Players are asked their names at the
start of the game. This is the only key-
board input required. A pair of dice is
rolled by pressing the red joystick but-
ton, identical to Monopoly. (By the
way, the U.S. Supreme Court has ruled
that Monopoly is not a trademark as it
has become generic. Tycoon could
have been called Monopoly.) The
board squares which lie on the left half
of the screen are unmarked because
they are too small for a meaningful
label. This takes some fun out of the
dice roll. You could hope for snake
eyes to land on Inheritance if you knew
where it was on the board. As it is, the
right half of the screen tells you where
you are when you land on it. It also
tells you want your options are — •
BUY, SELL, PASS, etc. and what your
estate is worth.

There are ten types of squares on the
board:

GOLD — you can buy units (ounces?)

when you land on GOLD. The price
per unit changes rapidly throughout
the game affecting your net worth.

STOCKS — The stock value acts as a
portfolio with less volatility than the
gold. There are no individual securities
you can trade.

REAL ESTATE— Rent is due when
you land on real estate owned by
another player. Rents and property
values escalate as the game proceeds.

GAMBLE — This is an uncontrol-
lable bet with a 50% chance of win-
ning and a 2:1 payoff. The computer
decides how much you bet. This is a
strange way to gamble.

INHERITANCE— extra income.

INCOME TAX — a nuisance which
only takes 10% (of net worth!). This is
clearly not an income tax.

PAY DAY — just like passing GO ex-

cept you get ever increasing amounts.

DOOM — all players' holdings ex-
cept cash decrease in value by 50%.

BOOM — all players' non-cash hold-
ings increase by 50%. BOOM and
DOOM make the game very volatile.

DOOM INSURANCE— can be pur-
chased for $300 and will make you
immune to DOOM one time.

I am still trying to decide on the
value of a game such as Tycoon. It
would seem to me that the social im-
pact of digital Tycoon will probably
never be as great as the cardboard and
paper games like Risk, Monopoly or
Scrabble.

^ViW<^Mv/3,TO'

ANTIC, The ATARI Resource

PRODUCT REVIEWS

STOCK

MANAGEMENT,
REV. I.I

Atari Program Exchange (APX)

P.O. Box 3705

Santa Clara, CA 95055

(408) 727-5603

(800) 672-1850 inside California

(800) 538-1862 outside California

$22.95, 32K — diskette

Reviewed by Dave Mentley

This well-polished, low-priced record-
keeping program from APX will be
very useful to ATARI owners who buy
and sell securities for investment or
speculation. I've found that this popu-
lation group is actually quite small,
but the Stock Management program is

an excellent example of what a home
computer can do.

It is, however, fundamentally a
reporting program — not a manage-
ment program. In order to "play" the
stock market you need instant infor-
mation from many sources and you
really need personal contact over the
phone. For recordkeeping and valua-
tion of your portfolio of stocks
though, this program is ideal. It does
not handle sophisticated transactions
such as "short selling" or options
trading, but we are not planning to
open a branch of Merrill Lynch with
our ATARI either.

The disk comes with a sample data
base built by the author, and this
makes learning the utility very easy.
Actually, a sample data base or data
file makes learning any new software

package much easier. This program is
menu-based to minimize typing and
simplify use. One shortcoming (which
some may call a feature) is that the
author did not disable the [BREAK]
key. Two POKEs in BASIC will pre-
vent an accidental [BREAK]. The
menu contains six possible selections
leading to all of the program sub-
routines. These items are: (1) Enter
New Transactions, (2) Correct Trans-
actions, (3) List All Transactions, (4)
Status of Portfolio, (5) Profit or Loss
for Single Stock, and (6) Profit or Loss
for the Year. In order to enter trans-
actions you should have your
brokerage slips by your computer. You
will need to enter the stock name,
ticker symbol, transaction (BOT, SLD,
DIV, etc.) date, exchange (NYSE,
AMEX, OTC, etc.), share price,
number of shares and the broker's
commission. This is a lot of data and
this program helps you to get it neatly
arranged on your floppy disk instead
of in your dresser drawer.

Once you have done the dirty work
of entering the data, you can begin to
have some fun with the numbers. The
only other inputs you need after enter-
ing are the daily (or hourly) share
prices. Just by changing the price ac-
cording to the daily paper or your
Dow Jones service, you can see in a
flash how much your portfolio is
worth "on paper" or in this case "in
computer". You can produce any of the
last three reports listed above just by
entering the share price. All reports
can be sent to a printer for a hard copy
or to the screen if you just want a quick
look.

If you feel like turning your stock
into cash, just reach for the phone, call
your broker and make that transaction
real. The beauty of this program is its
organizing ability and simplicity.

June 1983

PRODUCT REVIEWS

DESK SET

The Programmers Workshop
5230 Clark Ave., Suite 23
Lakewood, CA 90712
(213) 804-1475
$29.95, 40K — disk

Reviewed by Clark Nobil

Desk Set is a well designed program
that thoughtfully combines a daily
appointment schedule, perpetual
calendar, and card file (mailing list)
section. It marks the long-awaited
entry of business quality software
capable of serving either personal or
light office needs at a reasonable price.
Desk Set is a kind of electronic date
book with all the speed, accuracy, and
convenience of a computer.

The daily appointment schedule
allows you to enter up to 400 separate,
daily appointment or "things-to-do-
today" schedules — each with up to 15
entries per day. The perpetual calendar
displays any past, present, or future
month. The card file section permits
you to store, edit, sort, and print up to
200 names, addresses, phone num-
bers, and brief messages. Desk Set
replaces several smaller mailing list
and appointment calendar programs

the program requests the month, year,
and day and displays the calendar for
that month. You may then view the
appointment schedule for that day, or
go on to the appointment schedule for
the previous or next day. When an
appointment schedule is selected, the
screen displays a schedule with 10
hourly time slots, from 8:00 a.m. to
5:00 p.m., and five other slots for
extra appointments or important
notes. The program allows entry of up
to 22 characters for each of the time
slots — plenty of room for a name and
phone number or short note. At the
bottom of this screen, a menu appears
which permits you to add or delete an
entry, print the appointment schedule,
erase any outdated schedules, or
return to the main menu.

The card file section of the program
accepts up to 200 records with sepa-
rate fields for name, address, city,
state, zip, telephone number (with
area code), and a short message. The
user can then add, edit, sort, view, or
print records. It is, in fact, here in the
card file section that the program truly
excels with some refreshingly new and
original features. If you wish to view
records, there are six options in the
search mode: number or range of

Although it is relatively new. Desk Set is likely to

become the standard by which integrated appointment

calendar /small mailing list programs are judged

in the future.

by combining them into a larger, more
powerful program with quick access
between sections and with some of the
sophisticated features found on more
expensive data base programs.
Numerous prompts guide you at every
step to prevent accidental crashing or
the need to restart the program.

The program begins with a main
menu that asks you whether you want
to access the calendar or card file sec-
tion. If you respond with "calendar,"

record number, area code, state, zip
code, or all. If you want to print these
same card file records, you must
specify whether the addresses will be
printed on labels, envelopes, or in full
format.

You can also specify if telephone
numbers should be printed, so the card
file section actually serves as powerful
mini data base with a wide range of
printing options. A housewife, for
instance, might use this section as a

handy place to organize addresses and
phone numbers of friends, or print
envelopes or labels for holiday cards.
A salesman might use the card file sec-
tion as a place to store business leads
or prospects, printing either envelopes
or labels as the need arises, even creat-
ing a "telephone worksheet" for
follow-up calls.

The sort option on the card file
menu is also helpful. It permits the
automatic realphabetizing of names
and renumbering of records so that the
last records added can be included in a
newly alphabetized, card file listing.

Although it is relatively new. Desk
Set is likely to become the standard by
which integrated appointment calen-
dar/small mailing list programs are
judged in the future. Anyone, espe-
cially office workers, who formerly
used a date book or appointment
calendar but who now want to add the
same capability to a home or office
computer should find Desk Set a wel-
come addition. Not surprisingly, the
program's eight-page documentation is
both clear and concise, enabling you to
start putting the program's full poten-
tial to work in 20 minutes.

P.M.P. (PROPERTY
MANAGEMENT
PROGRAM) 2000

T & F Software Co.
10902 Riverside Drive
North Hollywood, CA 91602
(213) 501-5845
$219.95, 48K — disk

Reviewed by Richard DeVore

If you own an ATARI 800 with 48K, a
disk drive, an 80-column printer, Visi-
Calc and some apartment buildings,
Bruce Familian of T & F Software
Company has developed a set of tem-
plates that will allow you to keep track
of your property revenues and prepare
your rental statements.

ANTIC, The ATARI Resource

PRODUCT REVIEWS

P.M. p. 2000 comes as a set of four
diskettes in a binder along with a set of
clear instructions. The instructions are
printed on thick paper and should
handle well with extensive use of the
program. It also comes with a licensing
agreement that you probably should
have your lawyer read prior to pur-
chasing the package. It has all the
known disclaimers, which may be
necessary, but I feel that the manufac-
turer should warrant the product to do
what is claimed rather than warn you
that it won't take responsibility.

I must say, in all fairness, that in the
one contact that I had with Bruce
Familian, he answered all my ques-
tions and sent me the new version of
the program for this review. My criti-
cism of disclaimers is applicable to any
company that uses them, not just
T&F.

tion of this program easier and faster.

Diskette A contains four files. These
are: APARTMENT STATUS RE-
PORT, TENANT STATUS REPORT,
CASH RECEIPT WORKSHEET and
INVOICES. Diskette B and C contain:
DISTRIBUTION OF EXPENSES/
BANK ACCOUNT STATEMENT.
Each disk is able to hold six month's
worth. Diskette D has the INCOME /
EXPENSE SCHEDULE both by
month and YEAR TO DATE.

As in any program, you have to
input the necessary information re-
quired by each report. The reports are
structured to take input values and do
the appropriate extensions such as
return on investment, current tenant
status, and bank balance. They also
track expenses on the various units,
which is extremely useful. The only
thing that is not cross-linked well into

Each template is capable of tracking 25 units, and the
limit is set by the computer's memory, not the program.

The instructions lead you step by
step through every phase of the pro-
gram's use. I found a few errors, but
nothing that you couldn't catch and
compensate for. First, you should
duplicate the set of disks to keep the
originals safe. It is necessary to make
up a set for each apartment building.
The programs do not lend themselves
to individual house rentals, but could
be used for this is you were determined
to do so.

Each template is capable of tracking
25 units, and the limit is set by the
computer's memory, not the program.
Most of the printouts require com-
pressed print and VisiCalc, because
the ATARI doesn't directly support
many printers. It is set up for the Atari
825 printer (i.e. Centronics 737) and
you may have to set your particular
printer with BASIC prior to loading
VisiCalc and the program. Familiarity
with VisiCalc will make the applica-

previous input is the invoice section. In
this format it is necessary to fill in
almost all the blanks manually rather
than just give it the unit number.

The example given in the instruction
manual is for just one unit. I expanded
to 25 units and found that the pro-
grams function well in larger volume.
Any landlord should find RM.R 2000
a more than adequate tool for manag-
ing his property.

A ATARI* Jk

"Computers For People"

FREE CATALOG! ^

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We handle Only Atari Compalible hardware and
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complele catalog, Only SI. 00( Refundable w,lH your order).

INTRODUCING. . .

"Capi. 7.11

48K DISK

$49.95

The mosl user-friendly mail maintenance
program available'. Here are a few of the
outstanding features. . .

• New OS that offers fewer 'crasfied-
disks'-True random access-Store 500 to
2000 names/addresses per disl<.

• Works on single or double density.

• Automatic delete of duplicates.

• Print a disk directory.

• Official state abbreviations are built-in.

• Make back-up copies. • Merge files

• Searcfi files • Sort files

• Create sub-files • Print lables/file copy

Let ' 'Super Mailer ' ' speed your mail!

Protective
Dust Covers

For ATARI 400/410
800/810, Please specify.

$8.95

Please specily which you wani

Smoke-gray Acrylic,

The very best way to protect

your valuable software!

specily Disk
or Carl

$29.95

TRI DAP I ^^^^^^^

I lll'l #AV^ I From Royal Sollware

DISK
SPEEDO

llrrtl.

-tu.l

A very handy disk utility! ! !

^O^^^J U^^^J Dunie'— Cleck \T>e soenJ of your Oisk Q'jve

COMPUTER
PALACE

Formerly
Royal Sollware

21 60 W. 11 \.Y\ Ave • Eugene, OR 97402

Phone (503)683-6620
YOUR ATARI SOURCE!!!

Mastercard — Visa — A merican Express

June 1983

HELP!

Table Information

Our custom font listings represent
each ATASCII character as it appears
on the video screen. You generate
some characters by a single keystroke,
for example, the regular alphabet.
Others require a combination or se-
quence of keystrokes. In this table,
ESC means press and release the
escape key before pressing another
key. CTRL or SHIFT means press and
hold the control or shift key while
simultaneously pressing the following
key.

The Atari logo key ( A ) "toggles"
inverse video for all alphanumeric and

NORMAL VIDEO

FOR
THIS

OB
[]
ffl

H
Q
IB

y
Ei
m
m

m
m

B
El
S

m
n

E
F
G
H

L
M
N

TYPE
THIS

CTRL ,
CTRL A
CTRL B
CTRL C
CTRL
CTRL
CTRL
CTRL
CTRL
CTRL I
CTRL J
CTRL
CTRL
CTRL
CTRL
CTRL O
CTRL P
CTRL Q
CTRL R
CTRL S
CTRL T
CTRL U
CTRL V
CTRL W
CTRL X
CTRL Y
CTRL Z
ESC ESC
ESC CTRL -
ESC CTRL =
ESC CTRL +
ESC CTRL *
CTRL .
CTRL ;
SHIFT =
ESC

SHIFT

CLEAR
ESC DELETE

ESC TAB

DECIMAL
VALUE

123

124

punctuation characters. Press the logo
key once to turn it on; press again to
turn it off. On the 1200XL there is no
logo key; inverse video is controlled by
a key on the function row. Decimal
values are given as reference, and cor-
respond to the CHR$ values often
used in BASIC listings.

INVERSE VIDEO

FOR
THIS

□

D
B

□
□

□

B
□
[]
B
□

□
B

□

TYPE
THIS

A CTRL
A CTRL
A CTRL
ACTRL
A CTRL
ACTRL
ACTRL
ACTRL G
ACTRL H
ACTRL
ACTRL
ACTRL
ACTRL L

A
B
C
D

E
F

I
J
K

M
N
O
P

125
126
127

ACTRL
ACTRL
ACTRL
ACTRL
ACTRL 0
ACTRL R
ACTRL S
ACTRL T
ACTRL U
ACTRL V
ACTRL W
ACTRL X
ACTRL Y
ACTRL Z
ESC
SHIFT

DELETE
ESC
SHIFT

INSERT
ESC
CTRL

TAB
ESC
SHIFT

TAB
ACTRL .
ACTRL ;
A SHI FT =
ESC CTRL 2
ESC
CTRL

DELETE
ESC
CTRL

INSERT

DECIMAL
VALUE

128
129
130
131
132
133
134
135
136
137
138
139
140
141
142
143
144
145
146
147
148
149
150
151
152
153
154

156
157
158

159
224

i5i

252
253

254
255

WINDOW ON GTIA

This is the Assembly Language listing
(Listing 2) that was inadvertantly
omitted from "Window on GTIA"
(ANTIC V.2,#l, page 48).

01 ;THIS IS THE ASSEMBLY-
LANGUAGE ROUTINE USED
IN

02 ;THE BASIC DEMO PROGR
AM TO SWAP FROM GTIA
TO

03 ;NON-GTIA MODE AT THE
TOP OF THE TEXT WINDOW.

04 ;THE ROUTINE IS CALLED
BY A DISPLAY LIST

05 ; INTERRUPT. IT IS ASSE
MBLED AT AN ARBITRARY

06 ; LOCATION OF $6E8, BUT
WILL RUN AT ANY LOCATI
ON

0100
0110
0120
0130
0140
0150
0160
0170
0180
0190
0200
0210
0220
0230
0240
0250
0260
0270
0280
0290

DRKMSK

SHFCOL

CPM0

COLBAK

PRIOR

WSYNC

NMIRES

* = $6E8
= $4E
= $4F
= $200
= $D01A
= $D01B
= $D40A
= $D40F
PHA

STA NMIRES
STA WSYNC
LDA CPM0
EOR SHFCOL
AND DRKMSK
STA COLBAK
LDA #0
STA PRIOR
PLA
RTI
.END

PHOTO FUN CONTEST WINNER

An early bird from Sunnyvale, Cali-
fornia has correctly identified the
"mystery programmer" whose photo
appeared on page 26 of the May 1983
ANTIC as Chris Crawford. Chris,
designer of such classics as "Eastern
Front (1941)" and "Legionnaire", is
one of Atari's foremost programming
talents. Our winner, Aaron Yelowitz,
has requested as his prize the APX
graphics adventure game "Sir Galahad
and the Holy Grail". Happy Crusad-
ing, Aaron! Q

ANTIC, The ATARI Resource

PRODUCT REVIEWS

FULL-VIEW 80
DISPLAY CARD

Bit 3 Computer Corporation

8120 Penn Avenue Soutli, Suite 548

Minneapolis, MN 55431

(612) 881-6955

$349.00

Reviewed by Fred Tedsen

The Full-View 80 is a board that pro-
vides an 80-column display for the
ATARI 800. It is nicely packaged and
comes with a fairly complete manual.
Installation is very easy. The board
plugs into the third memory slot and a
cable with two plugs is routed out the
back of the computer. One plug con-
nects a cable to the monitor while the
other is plugged into the monitor jack
on the side of the ATARI. This allows
switching between 40-column and
80-column displays on the same
monitor. The monitor must be mono-
chrome. You can, however, leave your
TV set or a color monitor connected
for color and 40-column displays.

The 80-column display is very read-
able. Most of the letters are nicely
formed, and the lower case letters have
full descenders. The ATARI block cur-
sor has been replaced with a blinking
underline, which is very easy to find on
the screen. If you prefer a block cursor,
a control key allows you to toggle
between the underline cursor and a
block cursor. The ATARI graphics
characters are duplicated, though the
appearance of some of them are quite
different. One of the line-drawing
graphic characters is incorrectly
formed so that a perfect square cannot
be drawn on the screen.

Editing programs is very much the
same as standard ATARI 40-column
editing. There are a few differences
that take some getting used to, how-
ever. For example, the cursor does not
wrap around at the bottom or top of
the screen. Instead the screen is
scrolled up or down one line. Since this

moves a line off the screen, I quickly
learned to not do it. A more bother-
some feature is that if you make a
change in the second line of a multiple-
line statement, you must move the cur-
sor back to the first line before press-
ing [RETURN], This is really not as
bad as it first seems since fewer state-
ments take more than one screen line.
Bit 3 indicates that they may change
this in the future. A really nice added
feature is a command that clears the
line from the point after the cursor
instead of deleting the entire line.

An unpublicized advantage of this
board is speed. Listing programs on
the screen and printing to the screen is
about 30 percent faster on the
80-column screen than the 40-column
screen. Additionally, since the Full-
View 80 does not use the ANTIC chip

to handle the display, turning ANTIC
off with a POKE 559,0 speeds every-
thing up another 30 percent or so
without blanking the screen.

The board works very well with
BASIC and with most assemblers. De-
buggers, however, do not seem to
work in 80-column mode. For word
processing and file management, the
80-column versions of Letter Perfect
and Data Perfect are the only com-
patible products.

Overall, I am very satisfied with the
Full-View 80. The support I received
from Bit 3 in tracking down problems
running programs with the board was
outstanding. With dual density
drives and now 80-column display, the
potential uses of the ATARI are rapidly
expanding.

IF IT'S FOR MN MT£iRI® COMPUTER

Mm ^

ATARI

ATARI®

Atari® 400/800/1200 hard- -^ -■ • '-^ 1200XL

ware and peripherals at a

price too low to print! Our latest software catalog lists over
1000 programs for Atari® computers.

Send $2 to our van Nuvs Store for our latest catalog and 1983
Newsletter telling what's coming later this year!
(Specify on outside of envelope atari® 400/800 catalog j

All mail order companies are not the same — we are

not a Post Office box — we operate a chain of stores

and have a tremendous stock on hand.

All Stores open 7 days.

MAILORDER:

San Fernando valley:

6626F valjean Avenue
Van Nuvs, CA 91406
(213)781-1300

call our HOTLINE for

cartridge availabilitv info

(213)901-1005

24 hours/day

Orange County:

10529 Ellis Avenue
Fountain Valley, CA
(714)964-2711

South Bay:

2814VI/. Sepulveda
Torrance, CA
(213)530-7905

Ventura county:

3649 Thousand Oaks Blv(3.
Thousand Oaks, CA
(805)497-6115
(213)991-1153

June 1983

T.H.E.

SMART

TERMINAL'

PRODUCT REVIEWS

TURN YOUR ATARI 400 OR 800 INTO
A REAL SMART TERMINAL

Get up to date information from
services like Dow Jones, CompuServe,
The Source, and local timesharing
computers.

Savethe information on disk or cassette
for editing or reviewing when you
disconnect from the telephone line!

Send the edited information back to
the timesharing system when you are
ready.

REDUCE YOUR CONNECT CHARGES
BY READING AND WORKING OFF
LINE!!

• Use Friendly

• Disk or Cassette Based

• Works with Hayes Smart Modern

• X-ON/X-OFF Protocol

• Runs in 16K

• Serial or Parallel Printers

• Menu or Command Driven

• Save Data on Cassette or Disk

• Upload/Download Atari 400 or 800

• Multiple files in memory

This package allows you to define,
transmit and receive characters so you
can send characters and control codes
not found on the Atari keyboard and
receive characters that the Atari can
translate into something it understands.

A POWERFUL COMMUNICATIONS
PACKAGE AT A SUPER PRICE!

T.H.E. MOST Sophisticated Communica-
tions Package Available for the Atari,
400 or 800 and its available on Cassette,
too!

ORDERING INFORMATION

Call BINARY directly to place your
order. Our order lines are open 24
hours per day, 7 days per week.

Shipping and handling charges:

North America: Add $2.50
Outside N.A.: Add 10%
Michigan Residents: Add 4% tax.

Payment Methods:

VISA, Master Charge, AMEX, cash,
certified check, personal check
(a How for clearance), money order.

Look for Binary Software Products at
your local computer store.

Dealer Inquiries invited

COMPUTER SOFTWARE

3237 Woodward Ave.

Berkley, Ml 48072

(313)548-0533

BINARY CORPORATION -

THE BOOKKEEPER
KIT

Atari, Inc.

(800) 538-8543

(800) 672-1404 (Calif, only)

$249.95 — the Kit (diskette, keypad)

$149.95 — 48K — diskette only

$124.95 — keypad only

Reviewed by Ronald G. Boyer

The Bookkeeper Kit is Atari's entry in
the small-business accounting field.
The ATARI computers were never
intended as business machines, and
this software also has serious limita-
tions. But for a small business, the
combination is good enough to use
until a true business system is
warranted.

Although The Bookkeeper pro-
gram's documentation is easy to read
and explains simple accounting con-
cepts, Atari advises the user to seek
professional help when setting up
accounts and deciding which account-
ing method to apply. As a CPA with
ten years' experience on in-house minis
and micros, as well as with client com-
puters, I concur with this advice. Com-
puters do not anticipate management,
tax or financial problems. Nor do they
review statements to assure accuracy
and completeness. Consultation will
still be an annual necessity for all ex-
cept the smallest operation.

Full use of The Bookkeeper requires
48K, a printer, and one disk drive.
System capacity is limited by small
disks. The Bookkeeper can handle up
to 1000 transactions per month (or
posting period) but only a total of 350
different account numbers, plus
customer numbers, plus vendor num-
bers. It does not support PERCOM's
double-density mode, but single-
density works fine.

Functionality: The Bookkeeper of-
fers a well-documented, easy-to-use,
double-entry accounting package.
Statement formats and department

structures have been integrated into
the chart of accounts numbering sys-
tem. The system can produce ten
departmentalized profit and loss state-
ments which are then combined into a
consolidated statement. Department
statements show profit and loss only.
The chart of accounts is flexible
enough for most applications.

The Bookkeeper will, in addition to
the normal financial statements, pro-
vide lists of customers, vendors,
checks written, cash received, invoices
written, and general journal entries. It
also will produce general ledgers,
accounts receivable and accounts pay-
able ledgers. The accounts receivable
and accounts payable ledgers are not
"aged," however.

The system does not collect em-
ployee data. This is a serious oversight
since collecting data for quarterly tax
returns is one of the functions best
handled by a computerized accounting
system, and is a feature included in
programs for other microcomputers.
Certainly, one of the greatest burdens
for any small business is maintenance
and filing of employee tax records.

The general ledger includes descrip-
tions of each transaction, for example,
check payee. That makes the general
ledger much more valuable for analyz-
ing account variances in the account-
ing period. The system allows 13
account entries per check and ten per
journal entry — sufficient for most
needs. A generous number of comment
lines are available.

The profit and loss statement has
columns for current period, year-to-
date amounts, and percentage analy-
sis; but the system cannot compare
actual amounts to budgeted, or to
prior year figures. This is a serious
drawback.

Customer lists include only names
and addresses; no monthly or year-to-
date sales data are presented. The
system will not issue invoices or
monthly statements. Statements must

ANTIC, The ATARI Resource

PRODUCT REVIEWS

be hand typed from accounts receiv-
able listings — an inexplicable
ommission.

The Bookkeeper performs some
accounts payable functions and allows
the user to record checks. It does not,
however, print checks. Worse, it will
not keep or balance a checkbook.

Usability: The system is easy to
understand and learn. This is no small
feat given the complexity of the subject
matter.

The complete package, marketed as
The Bookkeeper Kit, includes a piece
of hardware that everyone who has
tried to use the ATARI in business has
missed — a ten-key pad! The pad
plugs into Port Two. It includes all
numerics, return, escape, delete, Y (for
yes), N (for no), period, a plus, and
minus keys. All of these are needed for
entering data into the program. It is a
major step forward.

Unfortunately, the key pad is now
usable only with The Bookkeeper. All
of us who know the ten-key finger pat-
terns have greatly missed this impor-
tant piece of equipment. Atari
customer service says the company is
working on a program that will make
the pad usable with other programs.

One serious complaint about the
usability is that The Bookkeeper does
not allow multiple disk drives. This
means that the user often must swap
the data disk and the program disk,
when a function change is needed.
Since most business users have at least
two drives, this is an irritating and un-
necessary limitation.

The system does not allow full-
screen editing during data entry, but
simply skipping through the fields us-
ing the return key permits moderately
efficient correction of input data.

Reliability: Overall, The Book-
keeper performs as specified in the
documentation and in the advertising
brochures. Be careful; this system is
only for the small business. There is
not enough storage capacity for any-

thing approaching a "medium-size"
business.

If you are interested in this product,
you should know about the flaw in the
data-entry mode which necessitates
saving data often: after entering data
and pressing [RETURN] to complete a
transaction, a second [RETURN] will
crash the program and lose all data not
previously saved. Recovery requires
restarting the system.

Performance: The program loads
slowly. Disks must be constantly
switched, because the program only
uses on disk drive.

On the plus side, the system avoids
repetition of names by assigning num-
bers to vendors and customers.

Documentation: The documenta-
tion is excellent. It is complete, well-
written, and includes a comprehensive
example on a data disk. This gives the
user experience and confidence that
the process will work. Although the
section dealing with accounting and
bookkeeping concepts is also well-
written, it will not replace formal
education on accounting methods or
tax laws. File layouts are not docu-
mented. Therefore, the user will not be
able to easily interface The Book-
keeper to user-written programs.

Summary: Atari has produced a
usable accounting package with good
documentation and packaging. The
Bookkeeper does have some short-
comings which could be eliminated
with some simple programming
changes. I still recommend it for the
small retail or professional business
with few employees. The program will
not replace competent professional
help for accounting and tax needs, but
could substantially reduce fees an
accountant would charge to plod
through unorganized records. The
program could also be useful to a per-
son performing bookkeeping "write-
up" services for a relatively small num-
ber of clients out of his/her home/
office. Q

TURN

YOUR

ATARI 810

DISK DRIVE

INTO

A REAL

SPEED

DEMON.

WITH

FAST-CHIP

• Increases overall speed of
810 disks by 10 to 40%.

• Faster Reads/Faster Writes

• Plugs into existing IC socket

• Easy to install

• No soldering required

• One Year Warranty

• Excellent Documentation

ORDERING INFORMATION

Available at your local Atari dealer or
Atari Service Center for only $39.95
(installation may be extra).

If not available in your area call BINARY
directly to place your order. Our order lines
are open 24 hours per day, 7 days per week.

shipping and handling charges:

North America: Add $2.50
Outside N.A.: Add 10%
Michigan Residents: Add 4% tax.
C.O.D.: Add $2.00

Payment Methods:

VISA, Master Charge, AMEX, cash,
certified check, personal check
(allowfor clearance), money order.

Look for Binary Software Products at
your local computer store.

Dealer Inquiries invited

COMPUTER SOFTWARE

3237 Woodward Ave.

Berkley, Ml 48072

(313) 548-0533

BINARY CORPORATION

June 1983

WMid MTOcessii^

Ws siimAe.

The typewriter was a wonder in its
time, Letter Pertect'ls a wonder for
today. Letter Perfect from UK
lets you use your computer to
write letters and create reports
and edit your work. Ct^ange
a word. Move a line.
Combine two paragraplis
You can do it all

witii Letter Perfect, and more.
Much more.

When it comes to practical
software for Ataris and Apples,
Letter Perfect is simple to
learn. And hard to beat. Ask
your dealer for a demon-
stration, or write LJK
for more information. .

UK, INC. • 7852 Big Bend Blvd., St. Louis, MO 63119 • (314) 962-1855

DATA BASE SUf^WEY— FULL-SCALE

FULL-SCALE DBMS

CCA

DBMS

DATA
PERFECT

FILE
FAX

FILE
MANAGER +

VERSION

4.1

1.3

Release 2

SORTS

Number of sort levels

Ascending, descending,
both

Mix ascending &
descending
Outputs a new file

Both

Yes
Yes''

Both

No
Yes

Ascending

No
No

Ascending

No
No

Time to sort 50 records

2.2 min.

1.3 min.y

4.5 min.

0.9 min.

REPORTS AND LABELS

Full screen layout

Yes

Report layout reediting

Report layout ease

Number of computed

fields

Number of subtotal fields

No
Fair

Manyz
1

Easy
Better

Easy
Best

lal

Easy
Good

0a2

Blank lines at subtotal

No'-^

Yes

Page breaks at subtotal
Text on subtotal line

No
No

Yes

No
Yes

No
No

Maximum report width
Number layouts per file
Number of header lines

132

Many

127

132

132
Many

la4

Auto page number
Auto system date
Center lines

Yes
No

Yes
Yes
Yes

Yes
No
Yes

No
No
No

Variable spaces after
header

Variable

0-9^5

Automatic column headers

Number of lines per

record

Blank lines between

records

Truncate field data

Yes^e*

0
Yes

Yes

Variable
Yes

No
9

0-9a5

Yesas*
1

Variable

Suppress trailing blanks
Number fields include
comma

Yes=7
Yes

Yes
Yes

YeS»7,a8

Yesa7
No

Text in detail lines

Yes

Conditional data print

Yes*

Prints to screen

Yes

Yes*

Prints deleted records

Yes*

Speed

V. slow*

V. fast*

OK*

Slow*

Rerun ease

Good

Besta9

Good"

Good

Bold in text

Yes

Variable page length

Yes

See page 94 for chart notations

of a field as a criterion — this is similar
to "*" and "?" options in DOS.

Once you've found a record, what
can you do? You can see the next
record which meets the criteria. Some
allow you to see the previous record

which meets the criteria. Some print
the record with a single keypress, help-
ful when building a hardcopy file. (File
Fax's print option does work; use
"CTRL ," rather than the key given in
the manual.) Data Perfect and File-

Manager allow you to find and change
a record in one operation. In the others
you search for a record, write down its
record number or key field value and
then go to a change / update module to
change the data in that record.

Only Data Perfect will change or
delete in a single pass all records which
matched specified criteria. This is a
very powerful feature. Suppose our
Little League roster includes players'
ages. If the data base includes a birth-
date field, you could run global
changes once a month to say "If birth-
day is greater than 1/1/83 but less
than 4/1/83 increase the age by one."
Global delete will prune your customer
list by removing all records with a total
sales amount below a certain amount.
Powerful!

The programs vary considerably in
speed of searches. The chart shows
speeds in a test search through a file of
50 records on the key field, which is
the fastest way. Time required to
search on non-key fields is given on a
per-record basis. Data Perfect's search-
es are instantaneous because all
records are in RAM. The others must
read a disk for every record. Data
Perfect's extra power, speed and design
make it clearly superior for reviewing
and updating.

SORTS

Suppose you've entered records for
200 pieces of art and want to see the
list sorted by artist, and for each artist,
by year purchased. This is a two-level
sort. Data Perfect sorts to four levels.
This is adequate for most applications.
FileManager is limited to three levels,
and permits only 24 "criteria" charac-
ters. Worse, memory limitations will
restrict many sorts.

Some systems do only ascending
sorts (1,2, 3. . .). Only CCA will mix
both ascending and descending sorts (1
... 3, 2, 1). A sort on only the first
few characters of a field is permitted
by some of the systems. All programs
accept sort criteria easily, but File Fax's
sort criteria are awkwardly placed at
the file-definition level.

continued on next page

June 1983

DATA BASE 5UR[/EY— FULL-SCALE

HHIH^HHP FULL-SCALE DBMsflHHH^HBI'

CCA
DBMS

DATA
PERFECT

FILE
FAX

FILE
MANAGER +

VERSION

4.1

1.3

Release 2

FILE HANDLING

Backup system
Recover deleted records

Yes
Yes

Yes"^
No

No*
No

Merge from other files
Create subfiles

Yes

YesM

Yes"'
Yes

No
No

Yes

ERROR RECOVERY

Error message clarity

Good

Excellent

Nice

Fair

Recover from printer
errors

Poorbs

Excellent

Poor"

Recover from disk errors

Good

Excellent

PoorM

Fair^^

Recover from power
failures

Excellent

Poor*

Good

See page 94 for chart notations

Sort speeds differ remarkably. For
sorting 50 records on a non-key field,
FileManager's 54 seconds was very
fast. Data Perfect was slowed down by
disk swapping because it reads records
from the old file, sorts them, and out-
puts them to a new file. Since all
records fit in Data Perfect's memory, I
consider this a design fault. File Fax
sorts so slowly the vendor suggests you
let it sort overnight! And, since it
writes the new file over the old one,
you run a substantial risk of data loss
(keep that backup handy).

I think Data Perfect's flexibility is
worth its slower sort speed, compared
to FileManager's fast, but very re-
stricted, sort. If you really need more
than four levels, CCA sorts very
capably.

REPORTS

You'll often use your DBMS to pro-
duce labels or lists of records. The
report-writer section of a good DBMS
should let you design reports the way
you need them.

Reports can reorder fields, omit
fields, and, on some systems, compute
new fields. Data Perfect and File Fax
give you a full screen layout similar to
the final printed report. Both have
horizontal scrolling so you can see all
columns (40 at a time). File Fax's lay-
out system for reports is superb. Using

"page flipping" (an ultra-fast way to
change screens), you skip between the
file-definition screen and the report-
layout screens, tagging fields as you
need them.

When computed fields are used in
reports, but not included in the file,
they don't consume valuable disk or
memory space. Unfortunately, two
systems omit this powerful feature.

Similarly, a subtotal feature gives a
subtotal on any numeric field when-
ever a specified field changes value (a
"control break"). Systems which
restrict subtotals are often inappropri-
ate for a given job. A really flexible
subtotal system allows you to print
blank lines when a subtotal appears,
change pages at subtotals (e.g., a new
page for each department) and print a
description on the subtotal line.

The maximum report width is
shown in characters-per-line. Some
systems will save only a few report lay-
outs per data base. This could restrict
you if you plan many alternate reports.

Headers are lines at the top of each
page which identify the report and
contents of each field. Auto-page-
number and system-date put these
values in the header. A center-line
feature puts your headers in the center
of a page for a professional look. Some
DBMSs automatically print field
names at the top of each column. CCA
and FileManager do this but do not

allow you to design special column
headings — inflexible.

Some systems will print a record on
more than one line, a feature necessary
for reports from long records. Trun-
cating an alphabetic field squeezes
more on a line, and suppressing trail-
ing blanks prints fields without gaps.

All the systems except FileManager
allow you to choose the number of
decimal places printed on a report. File
Fax carries this further by expanding
the size of the "total" field as required
to hold larger numbers and to change
its decimal position. A nice touch.

Although part numbers. Social
Security numbers, phone numbers and
similar data are generally printed with
dashes and parentheses, these symbols
are rarely kept on the file. A good
report writer will insert them easily.
Data Perfect's conditional-data-print
prints different constants in a field
depending on the value in another
field. For instance, a report comparing
budget to actual could print "over-
spent" if the cost exceeded budget.

Most systems preview a report for
you by printing it on the screen. With
FileManager, you can choose to see
only the first 40 columns and, there-
fore, prevent wraparound. Only CCA
will print deleted records, a nice audit
feature.

Print speed tests for the four systems
were not strictly comparable because
different reports printed subtotals dif-
ferently. CCA prints about half as fast
as an Epson printer can go, and File-
Manager at a bit less than printer
speed. File Fax kept up with the
printer. The real speed demon was
Data Perfect. Feeding my Microbuffer,
it output a two-page report in 10
seconds!

All of the systems make it easy to
run a second copy of a report. Bold
text, emphasis of a particular field, is a
nice feature found on Data Perfect.
That system, however, restricts page
lengths to 11 inches per page. All of the
systems did a good job of printing
labels in a format designed by the user,
but labels could not be produced more
than one across.

cDHtimica or: page 92

ANTIC, The ATARI Resource

ATARI'

PAYROLL SOFTWARE

FOR

THE ATARI® 800"

Miles Payroll System is an advanced and comprehensive payroll accounting system
designed lor businesses today. Cumulative totals are maintained for each employee, as well as
complete reporting, check writing, and W-2 reporting. Some features include:

• Random access file organization for last updating of individual records.

• Allows weekly, biweekly, semimonthly or monthly pay periods.

• Completely menu-driven and user-friendly,

• Regular, Overtime, Double time Sick. Holiday, Vacatioa Bonus and Commission eaming categories

• Payroll deductions include Federal W/H Tax, State W/H Tax, City W/H Tax, FICA, SDI, Group
Insurance and 3 user-defined deductions

• Tax sheltered annuity deduction capability for IRAs and other tax shelters.

• Slate and Federal Unemployment Insurance maintained.

• Complete file viewing and editing capability.

• Maintains up to 50 employees,

• Up to 10 user-defined Worker's Compensation classifications,

• Federal Tax tables may be changed in only 1 5 minutes each year by user when IRS changes tax

• Table method used for State and City Tax, allowing compatibility with any state's or city's tax,

• Produces 15 different reports, including W-2 Forms Report.

• Checks calculated and printed automatically.

• PROGRAf^l ENABLING MODULE'" protects valuable payroll information from unauthorized users.

• 3 user-defined payroll deductions to accommodate customized needs such as savings, profit
sharing, tax stielters, pensions, etc.

• Pay period, monthly, quarterly and yearly cumulative totals maintained for each employee,

• Automatic input error detection and recovery protects system from user-generated errors.

• Easy-to-follow, detailed, and comprehensive user's manual and tutorial leads the user step
by step allowing anyone with little computer experience to easily operate the package.
Includes index.

• Color, sound, and graphics utilized for user ease,

• Maintains employee pay history,

• Allows (or manual payroll check writing,

• Packaged in a handsome 3-ring deluxe pocketed binder with 3 diskettes and manual,

• Reasonable price.

See your local store, or contact Miles Computing.

\ A MILES COMPUTING

/if^ji 7136 Haskell Ave. #204

Van Nuys, CA 91406
(213) 994-6279

Atari is a registered trademark of Atari, Inc.

Miles Computing, MILES PAYROLL SYSTEM, PROGRAM ENABLING MODULEare trademarks

of Miles Computing, Van Nuys, California, Not affiliated with Atari, Inc.

SI 79.95, Requires 32 K and two Atari" 810" disk drivers. Payment inU,S. funds required with

order, California residents add 6.5% sales tax. C.O.D, or prepayment only. Dealer inquires

welcome

1:Sa

IT'S ABOUT TIME

by G. Herzenstiel
Can your child read both clocks on the right? Many
children will go out of their way to read a digital clock
instead of trying to read the standard clock. In this
program your child can learn to read a standard clock
along with a digital clock

• Two learning units and a game

• Requires 1 joystick
Recommended for grades K-2

ATARI cassette, 16K $20.00

■ATARI disk, 24K $25.00

BULLS and CLEOTS

by B. Belian
A game that tests your logic against the computer. Can
you enter the four digits that the computer is thinking of
in the correct order? The computer will give you clues
after every entry. This "mastermind" type game is a
challenge to young and old alike.

• Plays on three different levels

• Play with a friend (computer chooses digits)

• Play against the computer feature
Recommended for ages 9-90

ATARI cassette, 32K $20.00 \ .

ATARI disk, 32K $25.00 fcs/

^.H.E.S.I.S.

PO. Box 147

Garden City, Ml 48135

(313) 595-4722

Write for free catalog of ATARI
and APPLE software.

Please add:

$3.00 shipping/handling

$1.50 C.O.D. charges

To Order Call:

1-800-354-0550

(VISA, MASTERCARD, CO.D.)

ENHANCE YOUR ATARI' 810

HAPPY 810 ENHANCEMENT

Speed up program development, loading, execution, and copying time by reading
disks up to 3 times faster. Complete compatibility with existing software, with
faster disk initialization, and reduced wear on the disk drive mechanism. No
soldering or trace cutting required, complete installation instructions included,
or contact your dealer. Diagnostic program included.

SOFTWARE ENHANCEMENTS (require HAPPY 810 ENHANCEMENT)

HAPPY BACKUP PROGRAM

Guaranteed to produce executable backup copies of any disk which can be read
with a standard ATARI 810* disk drive. Backup those important disks in your
library or use HAPPY BACKUP for small scale software production. Com-
pletely automatic duplication of format and data content of the source disk.
Single and multiple drive versions available. Backup copies will work on a drive
without the enhancement.

HAPPY COMPACTOR PROGRAM

Combines self booting programs which reside one per disk into one disk with
many self booting programs using the HAPPY COMPACTOR file structure.
Programs are then executed from the self booting HAPPY COMPACTOR
menu, and may later be extracted back onto a single disk. Compacted programs
disk will execute only on a drive which has the HAPPY 810 ENHANCEMENT.
Pays for itself by reducing the number of backup disks you need, in addition
to the added convenience.

HAPPY CUSTOMIZER PROGRAM

User friendly program to generate source disks with custom track format.
Format is specified on a per track basis. Examples of usage and interpretation
of results are included. This system requires a more advanced level user.

HAPPY810 ENHANCEMENT WITH SINGLE DRIVE HAPPY BACKUP $249.95

MULTIPLE DRIVE HAPPY BACKUP PROGRAM $ 49.95

HAPPY COMPACTOR PROGRAM $49 95

HAPPY CUSTOMIZER PROGRAM $ 99.95

CALL (J(i WRITE FOR OfiQERIfJG INFORMATION. Sorry, rru COD i
Lrirrln crrrrls .iccKpiBr) Oeajiirs may inuiiire, srrrirf Ipriiirhrrarl,

HAPPY COMPUTING

P.O. Box 32331

San Jose, CA 95152

(408)251-6603 ^ * ^ ^''

-ATARI H 10 IS J IrarJernark of AT AH I Ire,

COMPILE
ATARI BASIC
AND FLY!

With ABC™, Monarch's | new BASIC
compiler for ATARI 400" and 800, you
develop and debug pro-1 grams using

your ATARI BASIC car-
use ABC to transform

'tridge, then
them into

compact code that runs^up to 12
times faster, v\/ithout the ^cartridge -

(and protects your source^code, too).
40K and disk required. ^ For your ABC
diskette and manual^send check or
money order for .^^ $69.95 (or $9.95 for
manual alone).^ Monarch Data Systems
^^P.O. Box 207, Cochituate
^ ^^MA 01778, (617) 877-3457.

MastercardA/isa by phone. Dealer
inquiries invited. Mass. residents add
5% sales tax. ATARI, ATARI 400, and
ATARI 800 are trademarks of ATARI, Inc.

DATA BASE 5UF^\/EY— FULL-SCALE

FILE HANDLING

Each of the systems manipulates files
several ways. Extra copies of the pro-
gram and data disks, known as "back-
ups", should always be available to
protect from loss. The CCA disk can
be backed up with standard DOS com-
mands. Data Perfect can be backed up
with sector-copying programs such as
Superdup. Although you cannot back
up File Fax, the vendor will sell you a
backup copy for $20. FileManager is
copy-protected, but friends report that
Synapse has always supplied a dupli-
cate disk when the original, damaged
disk was returned. The FileManager
disk contains a copy of the system on
the flip side, so you already have one
backup copy.

Only CCA lets you automatically re-
insert deleted records without retyping
the records. Most of the systems will
take two versions of a file and merge
them into one file. Data Perfect's
system almost requires two drives to
do this, however.

It is often useful to create a subfile

risk of data loss due to power failure.
File Fax, however, writes records to
the disk as you enter them but doesn't
build a "pointer file" until you exit the
module. Power failure during data
entry therefore loses all the records
added during the session. The other
systems lose only the current record.

SUMMARY

Although it's impossible to provide
specific guidance, a selection process
can be suggested.

Prepare tentative file definitions and
estimate record and field sizes for the
applications you expect to automate.
Examine the charts to see which sys-
tems match your jobs. After eliminat-
ing clearly inappropriate DBMSs,
compare detailed features to choose a
specific program to test. Make sure
that it will do what you wish, operate
the system for several hours at a dealer.
You may also wish to consider some of
the smaller DBMSs if they would fit
your need.

Differences between the systems

Differences between the systems lead to some

conclusions, based on my personal judgements after

using each system on several test files.

containing a specific part of an original
file, to keep the file from outgrowing
your computer. Most of the systems
generate subfiles. Only Data Perfect
allows you to delete the copied records
from the original file in a one-pass
operation. The other systems require
you to delete the records individually.

ERROR RECOVERY

All potential errors were not tested,
but some observations are possible.
Even when errors were detected, the
error messages on some systems didn't
clearly explain what you did wrong.
Requesting a printout without making
the printer ready, could "lock up"
some programs. Some systems locked
up completely on disk errors, requiring
a complete power off/ on cycle and
loss of some input data.

Generally, the systems present little

lead to some conclusions based on my
personal judgements after using each
system on several test files. Assuming
that the program provides the basic
capabilities you require, several out-
standing advamages/ disadvantages of
the systems are:

CCA — Consider this especially if
you are an experienced BASIC pro-
grammer with some specialized needs,
or if you wish to use Percom double-
density drives.

Data Perfect — This is the most
powerful and flexible DBMS reviewed,
yet one of the easiest to use. Its out-
standing report features, global
change capability, and computed fields
probably outweigh its frustrating
manual, especially if you have access
to a second disk drive.

File Fax — Outstandingly easy to
use, this is the system for applications
requiring large numbers of records.
However, be sure you don't have to
change your data-base definition
(you'll have to retype the data) or sort
your data often (you'll grow old
waiting).

FileManager + — Consider this
system if you plan to merge data-base
records with the Text Wizard word
processor or plan to use the RAM-
DISK. Otherwise, its limited record
capacity and dearth of features suggest
purchasing Data Perfect instead.

THE VENDORS

CCA DATA BASE MANAGEMENT
SYSTEM

Custom Electronics, Inc.
238 Exchange Street
Chicopee, MA 01013
413-592-4761
List price $99.50

DATA PERFECT

LJK Enterprises, Inc.

RO. Box 10827

Saint Louis, MO 63129

314-846-6124

List price $129.95

FILE FAX

TMQ Software, Inc.
82 Fox Hill Drive
Buffalo Grove, IL 60090
312-520-4440
List price $129.00

FILE MANAGER +

Synapse Software

5327 Jacuzzi Street — Suite 1

Richmond, CA 94804

415-527-7751

List price $99.95

continued on page 94

ANTIC, The ATARI Resource

2J9--483-W23

3734 FERNDALE

FT. MftYNE, IN

4M1S

ASiMPSIOiaW

an fauej Mnkfan

...a unique program which allows printing of 5
diH»r»nt font styles on a dot matrix pr in t*r "
Now you can print Old English, Cursive, and others
with your Atari and Prowriter, NEC or Epson.

«U (ijlisli GoiminBfi ZM^hsx

K<PTIPR;V 3A3VTEfcTH

The above styles are samples from FANCY WRITER.

ORDER NOU

♦34.95

i^S-sJi'hx

^M™of "ly *" ' *4^piS!;ilfi^3FEgtoS^~'' ' *"•

good connections

with the Atari 400/800^

Get connected to the exciting world of telecommunica-
tions with a Microconnection, the direct connect modem
designed especially for the Atari.

The IVIicroconnection can automatically dial other com-
puters—from micros to mainframes— to provide easy ac-
cess to expanding information and transactional services.

Whether you have the 850 Expansion Interface or not,
there's a Microconnection for youl The bus decoding
IVIicroconnection not only allows you to go on-line with-
out an 850, but it also provides RS-232C output to drive a
serial printer

It's the consistent favorite with reviewers!

All Microconnections for the Atari are provided with the
special 9 pin connector cable for ease of installation. Smart
terminal software available.

the micropenpheral corporation

2565 152nd Avenue* N.E., Redmond', WA 98052
(206) 881-7544

'Reg. Trademark of Atari. Inc.

EXPAND YOUR ATARI 400® TO

48K RAM

• Easy installation

• 90 day guarantee

• Less power consumption

• Allows long sophisticated pro-
grams to be run on the Atari 400®

• Allows full disk capabilities

• Gold plated edge connector

• Uses 64K dynamic RAMS for bet-
ter reliability and less heat

price

*1 34.95

MAGIC DUMP

by Eric Wolz

Magic Dump is aROM Cartridge that
is used in the right cartridge slot of the
Atari 800W. It allows you to copy any
high resolution graphic picture to a
printer Magic Dump will operate with
all Epson Printers, the NEC Printer, and
the Centronics 739 Printers.

price

»59.95

12 Scamrldge Curve
Buffalo, New York 14221
(716) 632-3441

Dealer Inquiries invited
'Product of Gemini Software

Add ^2.50 shipping.

Send check or money order

C.O.D. accepted

New York State Residents add 7% tax

" Atari is a trademark of Atari. Inc.

THE DRUMESISER*

by Thomas Skwara

The Drumesiser is a ROM Cartridge
designed especially for the Atari
400/800® Computer and is used to pro-
duce different synthesized sounds. You
can set up the Drumesiser to record and
play back your sounds. The Drumes-
iser will save sounds on cassette or disk
and requires a minimum of 16K RAM.

price

M9.95

GTIA DRAW*

by Eric Wolz

GTIA Draw is an unique drawing
program designed especially for Atari's®
new graphics chip (GTIA). By using the
joystick or keys on the keyboard you
can create your own pictures.

• Allows loading and saving of
pictures.

• Text may be combined with pic-
tures.

• Requires 48K RAM.

price

»49.95

DATA BASE 5UR\/F.Y— FULL-SCALE

NOTES

See text.

Requires swapping system and data
disk.

Requires data disk swapping for
backup or file conversion.
Supports Percom double density
mode. Could use BIT-3 80 column
with user modification.
Computed by reviewer.
Second and additional drives hold
1135 records.
With 4-digit key field.
Escape kills data except in report
design.

Return used to select some choices
but "S" used in other areas.
Uses Function keys in different ways
but always well prompted.
Checks for allowable data after
return.

Checks for allowable data at key-
press.

Manual designed for non-Atari users
— requires some translation.

Requires two drives or 2 diskette
swaps for each record.
Allows numeric constants via com-
puted field.

Can be done by specifying field with
two decimal places.
Maximum 254 characters in all
formulas.

Requires setting parameter for full
record at data base level — inflexible.
Requires setting parameter for speci-
fic fields at data base level —
inflexible.

Supports position-specific and "any-
where in field" wild cards. Similar to
DOS's f' and '' functions.
Supports "anywhere in field" wild
card and "not infield" similar to DOS
''' function.

Next and previous records shown
which match criteria.
After finding record, can update in
another mode.

Limited to 24 characters total.
Can add results of a sorted file to the

end of another file. Requires DOS
manipulation of sorted file.

y Required several disk swaps.

z Up to 254 characters of formulas.

al Must be key field only.

a2 Produces totals, no subtotals.

a3 Prints a line of dashes to set off sub-
totals.

a4 Limited to 37 characters.

a5 Set at data base level.

a6 Prints field names as column headers.

a7 for label reports only.

a8 Once set, trailing blanks removed
from all fields — inflexible.

3.9 Can choose to rerun only specific
pages.

bl Resorts pointer file for each run.
Usually fast sort.

b2 Limited to 30 records per pass.

b3 Can't escape without readying printer
or cold boot.

b4 Some disk errors require cold boot.

b5 Cannot escape from some file name

□

^xfi THE MONKEY WRENCH II

Islp' A PROGRAMMERS AID FOR ATARI 800
* NEW AND IMPROVED - 18 COMMANDS

If you are a person who likes to monkey around with
the ATARI 800, then THE MONKEY WRENCH II is
for you!! Make your programming tasks easier less
time-consuming and more fun. Why spend extra
hours working on a BASIC program when the
MONKEY WRENCH can do it for you in seconds.
It can also make backup copies of boot type
cassette programs. Plugs into the right slot and
works with ATARI BASIC cartridge.
The MONKEY WRENCH provides 18 direct mode
commands. They are; AUTO LINE NUMBERING - Pro-
vides new line numbers when entering BASIC program
lines. RENUIVIBER - Renumbers BASIC'S line numbers
including internal references. DELETE LINE NUMBERS
— Removes a range BASIC line numbers.
VARIABLES - Display all BASIC variables and their current value. Scrolling - Use the
START & SELECT keys to display BASIC lines automatically Scroll up or down BASIC pro-
gram. FIND STRING - Find every occurrence of a string, XCHANGE STRING - Find every
occurrence of a string and replace it with another string. MOVE LINES - Move lines from
one part of program to another part of program. COPY LINES — Copy lines from one part
of program to another part of program. FORMATTED LIST - Print BASIC program in
special line format and automatic page numbering. DISK DIRECTORY - Display Disk
Directory. CHANGE MARGINS - Provides the capability to easily change the screen
margins. MEMORY TEST - Provides the capability to test RAM memory. CURSOR
EXCHANGE — Allows usage of the cursor keys without holding down the CTRL key
UPPER CASE LOCK — Keeps the computer in the upper case character set. HEX CON-
VERSION — Converts a hexadecimal number to a decimal nu mber DECIMAL CONVER-
SION — Converts a decimal number to a hexadecimal number MONITOR - Enter the
machine language monitor

In addition to the BASIC commands, the Monkey Wrench also contains a machine
language monitor with 16 commands used to interact with the powerful features of the
6502 microprocessor

$59.95

ATARI AND PET
EPROM PROGRAMMER

Programs 2716 and 2532
EPROMs. Includes hardware
and software. PET = $75.00 -
ATARI (includes sophisticated
machine language monitor) =
$119.95

Eprom Cartridge- A,P,C,
board and case which can be
used in the ATARI 400 or 800
in the left or right slot. Uses
2532, 2732. or 2716 EPROMs,
May contain up to 8K byles.
$19.95

Memory Test- Make sure your
RAM memory is normal. $6.95
or $9.95 on disk.

Typing Exercise- A typing drill
program tor beginners and
experts. On disk. S12.95

More than just an Assembler/Editor!
Nowforttie"64" \ . . . ^

MAE

■:\

It's a v^\ for

Professionally I i pet

Designed \ APPLE

Software / M ATARI

Development ^■^■^ $?e9SS
System ^.^B^^ New

Price
$99.95

Blast off with the software used on the space
shuttle project!

. Designed lo improve Programmef Pfoduclivity

• Similar synlax and commands — No need 10 relearn
paculiar syntaxes and commands when you go
from PET lo APPLE to ATARI

• Coresident Assemoier/Editor — No need lo load
the Editor men ttie Assembler then the Editor, etc

• Also includes Word Processor Relocating Loader,
and mucli more

• Options EPROM Programmer unimplemented
opcode circuitry

. STILL NOT CONVINCED Send lor tree spec sheeli

S'/4 INCH SOFT
SECTORED DiSKEHES

Highest quaHty. We use them on
our PETs, APPLES, ATARIs, and other
computers. $22.50/10 or $44.50f20

EPROMS 2716 = $4.50 2532 = $7.50

3239 Linda Dr.
Winston-Salem, N.C. 27106
(919)924-2889 (919)748-8446
Send for free catalog!

r MasterCard ,

ANTIC, The ATARI Resource

NEW FOR ATARI

diskwiz

COMPLETE & AFFORDABLE
DISK EDITING REPAIR & DUPLICATION
SYSTEM FOR ATARI OR PERCOM DRIVES

• single load • fast mach. lang. • repair, explore, dup
dos/non-dos sectors • simultaneous hex/ascii display and
editing • print out all modes to any printer • dumps special
& inverse chars to EPSON graftax & NEC 8023 • fast mapp-
ing and byte searches • file link trace • speedcheck and ad-
just • block move • auto link pointer, file code change •
vtoc bit map changes or check • cross sector disassembler •
fast/slow copy • 1 or 2 drives • hex-dec-asc conv. • com-
plete manual • create "bad" sectors • fix deleted or open
files • fix dup filenames • safely use non-formattable disks •
easy, fast, complete • see review Analog 1 1 • more!

All this for only $25 postpaid

Don't waste your money on simple copiers or more
expensive programs that don't deliver as much.

48 hr. shipping for cashiers checks & money orders. Allow
up to 3 Vk-eeks for personal checks, — C.O.D. add $2.00. 1st
class add $1.00. Club & dealer enquiry encouraged.

Ask for it at your local dealer.

llEN

Iacroware

(213) 376-4105

1906 Carnegie Lane "E"
Redondo Beach, CA 90278

Atari, Epson, NEC & Porcom, are trademarks of Atari, Inc., Epson America, Nip-
pon Electric Company, Percorn Data respectively. M

FOR

ATARI

400/800

HOME COMPUTER

OMNIMON!

A RESIDENT MONITOR

Software: DAVID YOUNG
Hardware: BILL WILLIAMS

Very

• OMNIMON! is resident. It is a PC board which installs permanently
into your computer but requires no user memory. Resides in
unused $C000 page.

•OMNIMON! gives you complete control. Interrupt, examine and
manipulate any program in memory or on disk! Enter monitor with
SELECT/ SYSTEM RESET.

OMNIMON! can aid recovery from errors and glitches!
user friendly!

• OMNIMON! has flexible disk I/O independent of DOS. Supports
SD or DD ana sequential or linked modes. Load DOS file, boot
record or edit sector data! Create a sector map of any file or boot
disk. Dump memory to disk.

• OMNIMON! fias many debugging tools: display/alter memory or
6502's registers, disassembler, search memory, single step
printer dump, etc.

OMNIMON! — TM of CDY Consulting 214-235-2146, 421 Hanbee,
Richardson, TX 75080. Dealer inquiries solicited. Price: $99.95
ATARI is TM of ATARI, Inc.

M!m£^

by Jerry White
For the Atari 400, 800, and 1200 XL • Disk or cassette

Requires 32K RAM • Suggested retail: $24.95

To order direct from DON'T ASK. send a checl< or money order, or call to order
C.O.D. Add S2,00 sfiipping and fiandling. California residents add 6% sales tax
(6.5% if you reside in LA, County), Please specify disk or cassette version.

Registered owners of S.A.M, for tfie Atari: you can get a special low-priced version
of POKERSAM, Please write to DON T ASK for information, and be sure to indi-
cate your SAM, serial number.

THIS POKER PLAYER HAS SOMETHING
UP HIS SLEEVE . . .
HE TALKS!

The makers of S.A.M. , the Software Automatic Mouth, now
bring you a revolutionary talking game: POKERSAM. He
narrates every hand aloud, naming the upturned cards,
announcing the bets, and wisecracking whenever he
gets the chance. Like a lot of poker players, he's some-
times full of bluster and he isn't always a good sport. But
he's always a real character with a gift for gab.

Your Atari needs no separate speech synthesizer to
produce POKERSAM's speech. It's all done with the
S.A.M.speechsystem.Asyoumayknow, S.A.M. is available
separately as an unlimited-vocabulary speech synthesizer
that you can access in your own programs. POKERSAM is
not a tool for creating your own computer speech, but it
contains a small module of the S.A.M. system. This means it
can make any Atari computer speak, without additional
hardware or software!

Dealer inquiries welcome

D(S)nTASK

COMPUTER SOFTWARE

2265 Westwood Bl,, Ste, B-150

Los Angeles, CA 90064
(213) 477-4514 or 397-8811

ATARI is a trademark of ATARI INC

D/\m BASE 5UR\/EY—5M/\LL-5CALE

drive system. The best way to beat this
delay is to copy the program on one
side of a diskette and keep your data
on the other side of that same diskette.
MMG's copy protection scheme, how-
ever, won't let you do this.

CAPACITIES

Note that File It 2 + comes with pre-
defined, 80 character records and that
each of its prepared systems presents a
different file structure which cannot be
altered. The maximum number of
records was not easily determined for
each of the systems. It appears to be at
least 300 records, which was the maxi-
mum for File It in a 48K machine.
Home File Manager, however, uses
variable length records so the maxi-
mum number of records available
depends on your data. Unfortunately,
the program gives no indication of
percentage full.

GENERAL INFORMATION

The two APX and File It systems are
written in user-modifiable BASIC. File
It 2-1- is particularly open to change
since it's a collection of running pro-
grams with code modified for specific
purposes. You'll need to be an accom-
plished programmer to change more
than the rudiments in any of these sys-
tems, and you may have to modify the
programs. Several, particularly APX
20134, failed due to program errors.

MMG's documentation is too short
to be fully useful. File It is long because
it's really covering several systems.
Although I reviewed a preliminary
copy, an index in the final version will
make it easier to use.

DATA BASE DEFINITION

Since Home File Manager and File It
records are predefined, you can't
change their file definitions. The rest
of the systems prompt you to define a
file based on stacked questions such as
"Enter name?". The function to re-
organize the data base allows you to
change fields in a file without retyping
the data. File It will rearrange zip code
fields in a pre-determined way, hardly

SMALL DMBS

APX-DATA BASE APX-DATA
REPORT MANAGEMENT
20134 20059

FILE
IT 2 +

HOME FILE
MANAGER

MMG FILE
MANAGER

VERSION

20134

20059

2 +

CX415

Not
Given

HARDWARE

Minimum
Memory

40K

32K

24K

16K

40K

Need for second
drive

High

Low

High

None

High

CAPACITIES (MAXIMUM)

Number of fields

Record size

(characters)

255

140

80'

270

Field size
(characters)

100

N/A»

GENERAL INFORMATION

Single load

No.

Yesb

Yes

Confirm
desctructive acts

Good

Fair

Good

Yes

User modifications

Yesc

Yes-:

Yes*^

DOCUMENTATION — OVERALL EASE

Very good

Fair

Excellent

Fair

DATA BASE DEFINITION

Ease of defining
files

Poor-
no names

Good

N/A'

No
definition

Good

Print out file

definitions

Yes

No^

N/A

Reorganize
data base

Yes'

N/A

FIELD TYPES

Decimal positions

Yes

$/C

Excess field length
warning

Yes

Auto
wrap

Numeric

Yes

Date

Yesf

DATA ENTRY /UPDATE

Input form

Yes

Input editing ease

Poor

Excellent

Good

Update ease

Fair

Good

Excellente

Good

Prompts

Good

Fair

Excellent!

Good

Find and change

Yes

See page

100 for chart

notations

a file reorganization. APX20134 al-
lows addition of a field to the end of a
record but no field insertion or re-
ordering.

None of the programs support com-
puted fields. Since the Home File
Manager is primarily a text card, it
doesn't provide numeric-only fields.

But, then neither do two of the others.

DATA ENTRY

Only Home File Manager's "card" is a
form for data entry. The rest obtain
data by your responses to field-by-field
questions. APX 20134 doesn't give you

ANTIC, The ATARI Resource

DATA BASE 5UR\/EY— SMALL-SCALE

SMALL DMBS

APX-DATA BASE APX-DATA

REPORT

MANAGEMENT

FILE

HOME FILE

MMG FILE

20134

20059

IT 2 +

MANAGER

REVIEWING /UPDATING RECORDS

Review by how

many fields

All keys

All

Review by range

Yes

Noi

Yes

Wild cards,

part of field

Noi

Part

Print reviewed

record

Nok

Yes

Global change/

delete

Yes

No'

SORTS

Number of sort

levels

6™

Keyo

nly

Ascending,

Ascend-

descending, both

Both

ing

Both

Outputs different

file

Yes

N/A

REPORTS AND LABELS

Report layout ease Good

Printer set up

strings No"'"

Number of total

fields

Maximum report
width

Auto page number

User definable
column headings
Label program

115
Yesi

Yes
Not

Good

No"

119
Yes

Yes

Standardp

Yeso

Not

tested

Standards Good
Nop Yes°

0 0

38
No

Nor
Yes

No'
No

132

Nor
Yes"

See page 100 for chart notations

field names or any other prompt.
When it says "enter field 2", you have
to remember what field 2 is supposed
to contain. Most do not enable you to
edit a prior field without either saving
the record and going to a different
module, or by retyping the entire
record. MMG does allow editing entry
data, a strong plus. APX 20134 and
File It let you see only one field at a
time — awkward.

REVIEWING / UPDATING
RECORDS

Some of the systems make it easy to
find a record and edit it, others not so
easy. APX 20134 is unique in that it
will change a field in all records in a
file and write out a new file so your old

June 1983

file is not damaged. The Home File
Manager's search routine responds to
either upper or lower case matches —
convenient for a text-oriented system.
APX 20134's review is particularly in-
convenient since you see only a part of
the record at a time. APX 20059 and
MMG let you find a record and change
it in one operation.

SORTS

All sorts seemed fast. APX 20134
actually writes out a new file but then
proceeds to delete the old file. There-
fore, although there may be different
physical files, there is only one logical
file. It's handy to keep a file sorted in
different orders, a feature found only
in File It.

REPORTS

These systems produce only the sim-
plest reports. Some offer only a stan-
dard layout; others can produce simple
columnar listings with the fields listed
in the order you choose. You can't con-
trol column spacing, take subtotals,
insert text (except a short title) or com-
pute fields. All of these systems will
print at full printer speed (see restric-
tions in the chart).

FILE HANDLING

All of the system disks except Home
File Manager and MMG can be backed
up. (You can make a nice copy of
MMG but starting the program initial-
izes the disk and wipes it clean. Worse,
their protection scheme messes around
with memory so that you have to cold
boot whenever the program dies.)
Data files are best backed up using
DOS. APX 20134 provides a backup
command, but it deletes the original
file if used to back up a file to the same
disk. One outstanding feature is the
demonstration file provided on APX
20134 and APX 25059.

ERROR RECOVERY

All of the systems except Home File
Manager suffered from generally poor
error recovery. The APX systems
didn't restart after a printer halt unless
the printer could be made ready.
Recovery from disk errors (such as a
write-protected diskette) was proble-
matic at best. Because the two APX
programs and File It write only part of
a record during data entry, a power
failure would lose all records since the
last save. MMG also waits until all
records are entered to save the "pointer
file". It builds a new pointer file upon
startup and, therefore, didn't lose
records.

SUMMARY

Don't purchase one of these products
until you determine that it can handle
your "must have" requirements for
number of fields, record size, field size,
etc.

continued on page 100

•:*" J^ .^""^'V 'W"9 '^U.'WTT A

PUBLIC DOMAIN SOFTWARE

ANTIC is pleased to offer a library of Public Domain Software for the ATARI computers currently comprised of 12
disks. These programs are not yet available on cassette. These disks contain unprotected material from the libraries of
ATARI users' groups from around the country.

The potential buyer should note that these programs are sold as is. Their usefulness may depend on your experience
with the computer. They may contain programming quirks that require some modification. However, all perform reason-
ably well. Contents of the disks may vary slightly from the published description due to unforeseen circumstances, but
each disk is filled to reasonable capacity with useful programs of the kind described, and represent an excellent value at
$10.00 each, plus $1.50 per order for shipping /handling. Send check or money order (payable to ANTIC Publishing),
and disk number(s) to: Public Domain Software, 600 18th Street, San Francisco, CA 94107. Allow four weeks for deHvery.
All orders are sent by First-Class Mail. Please add 6V2% sales tax for California residents.

\^^ ANTIC UTILITIES DISK #3

1. Disassembler: from ANTIC V.2,#l

2. Tiny Text: from ANTIC #6
slightly 3. GTIA text window: from ANTIC V.2,#l

4. Label: disk label on Epson

5. Set up printer: sets up MX80 for Visicalc

6. Autotype: convert USR code to string

7. Autodata: convert USR code to DATA
statements.

8. Keyboard: tutorial &C more

ANTIC GAMES DISK #1

1. chicken: a great game from ANTIC #1

2. Hangman: the traditional word game

3. Creation: a version of Life

4. Reverse: order of string numbers

5. Monopoly: computerized!

6. Lunar lander: select terrain (stick)

7. Zonex: hidden color patterns in_grid

8. Clewso; detective adventure, graphics

^^ ANTIC GAMES #5

from

1 . Bats; who else? Stan Ockers
ANTIC #5

2. Steller Defense: from ANTIC #6
improved.

3. Yahtzee

4. Mastermind

5. Hamurabi: the classic simulation

6. Slalom: become a master schusser

7. Couch: analyze yourself

8. Aceyducy & more

ANTIC GAMES
DISK #2

1. Speed Demon: from ANTIC #4

2. Guy' Grid Game

3. Deathstar: from ANTIC #2

4. Blackjack: Vegas rules

5. Civil War: a strategic simulation

6. Artillery: firing strategy game

7. Super Wumpus: text adventure

ANTIC GAMES DISK #3

1. Petals

2. Showdown

3. FROG: from ANTIC #3

4. Draw: Guy Hurt

5. Plus Zero

6. Collisi, and more

Vtf,

ANTIC GAMES DISK #4

1. Vultures: from Stan Ockers

2. Castle Hexagon: also by Stan Ockers

3. Adventure: The remainder of the disk
contains an adventure game program which
you can play, or you can use the program to
write your own adventure. Instructions
included in program.

ANTIC PHOTO GRAPHICS

Digitized Photos

ANTIC UTILITY
DISK #1

1. Doc: program allows you to accompany
programs with separate documentation on disk

2. Microassembler: allows you to create USR
routines-assembler, more

3. Assembler-Editor: BASIC, slow but versatile

4. Num; automatic line numbering utility in
BASIC

5. Memtest; runs without BASIC cartridge, to
test all memory

6. Color: 128 colors at once

7. Printnop: connect parallel printer from
jacks 3 8c 4

ANTIC UTILITIES
DISK #2

1. Bubble Sort: from ANTIC #4

2. Typo: from ANTIC #3

3. Home inventory

4. KEY 6: Cipher coding

5. Renumber

6. Compare: listings for differences

7. SUPER: menu

8. Modem

9. RT clock & more

ANTIC GRAPHICS
DEMO #1

1. Spider: from ANTIC #3

2. Rainbow

3. Horses

4. ATARI logo

5. Oxygen

6. Spiral

7. Pretty

8. Message and more

ANTIC MUSIC DISK #1

Requires Music Composer Cartridge

1. Prelude

2. Joplin

3. In My Life

4. Star Trek

5. Daisy

6. Greensleeves

7. Yellow Submarine, and many more

ANTIC GR. & SO.
DEMO #1

1. Graphic

2. Draw

3. Rainbow

4. Tune Rite

5. Etch Sketch

6. Baby Pro Sound and more

ANT7C presents these programs in diskette form for the convenience of the ATARI community, in the belief that all of the
programs offered are in the Public Domain and that no proprietary interests or rights to these programs are claimed by
anyone. These diskettes are not copyprotected, nor does ANTIC claim rights to the programs themselves. The price of the
diskettes is based on the cost of making them available.

ANTIC, The ATARI Resource

ATARI 400/800* UPGRADES
FROM NEWELL INDUSTRIES
GET THE MOST OUT YOUR COMPUTER

1.95

three and 1/2 times
oating point routines,
outines for almost
in compatible ROM that
an be installed in
replacement for the
ifications, cuts, or
with a 90 day full

s).

loop

FUNC

OLD ROM

FASTCHIP

CLOG

120

EXP

112

COS

SQR

135

FASTCHIP - ATARI 400/800* $4
FASTCHIP can give you up to
the speed of the original fl
Atari BASIC uses these
everything. FASTCHIP is a
replaces the original. It
minutes, and is a permanent
original rom. There are no mod
wires to add. FASTCHIP come,
warranty.

Some reference times {in second
Function executed 1000 times in
FUNC:0LD ROMiFASTCHIP
ATN 128 62
LOG 129 33
A 236 55
SIN 85 30

RAMROD MHOS - ATARI 800* ONLY $159.95 (less memory)

RAMROD is a new operating system board that
replaces thr^ existing board. It gives the user the
flexibility of using either the existing operating
system roms or it is switch selectable to use EPROMS.
This allows the user to change the operating system
to meet any needs that might arise.

RAMROD also addresses the 4096 byte block of
memory that is not currently accessible in the
system. It also is switch selectable and may be used
as RAl-1, ROM, or a combination. This ram is usable by
software such as SPREADSHEETS, WORD PROCESSORS, and
certain LANGUAGES to mention a few, without
modification to the existing operating system.
Complete with instructions and recommended
modifications. One year warranty.

PLUS, every board comes with OMNIMON!, a resident
machine language monitor written by David Young,
author of DISKSCAN. It features many powerful
debugging commands like
disassembler, printer and
disk interface has many

ability to access single ,_ , „^^^„^^ ^.,

sequential or linked mode. And you can call it up at
any time. A sophisticated yet simple program to use.

display/alter memory,

disk interface, etc. The

features, including the

or multiple sectors in

WITH 4K RAM

WITH 12K MEMORY (4K RAM, 81<

EPROMS-2732,4Kx8,350 ns.

;^ROM)

$169.95

$189.95

$10.00

OMNIMON!

ATARI 400/800*

$89.95

As described above, but comes on a piggyback board
that plugs into the operating system socket.

48/52K RAM BOARD - ATARI 400/800*
WITH IGK TRADE IN BOARD $139.95
WITHOUT TRADE IN $159.95

REPLACES EXISTING RAM BOARD. NOT A KIT.
FEATURES: 200 ns. RAM, GOLD EDGE CONN.
SOCKETED, FIVE YEAR WARRANTY

ALL IC

PRO BOWLING VERSION THREE $19.95

The game is ^written in basic and machine

language and is an accurate simulation of the sport

of bowling. There are ten skill levels to give

challenge to the best of computer game players.

Features redesigned character set, automatic scoring,
sound, and P.M. graphics.

REQUIRED ACCESSORIES:

SINGLE OR DOUBLE DENSITY DISK DRIVE
BASIC LANGUAGE CARTRIDGE 32K MIN. MEM.
ONE JOYSTICK CONTROLLER PER PLAYER

SD/DD SECTOR COPIER - ATARI 400/800* $19.95
Make up to 153 copies of any single or double density
disk and just read the source disk once. Supports up
to 4 drives. Format on duplication option. With 48K,
two passes copies a full single density disk. Screen
menu. Easy to use. Boots in approx. 3 seconds.

ORDER C.O.D. or PREPAID. Sorry, no charge cards.
To order direct: Send check or money order to NEWELL
INDUSTRIES, 3340 Nottingham In., Piano TX. 75074. Or
call (214-423-1781). Texas residents add 5% sales tax
where applicable. Orders outside the U.S. add 3%($2
min) for shipping. C.O.D. orders add $1.50. Call or
write for additional information. Dealer inquiries
welcome.

ATARI 400/800 are Trademarks of ATARI INC.

SCREEN MAKER

A Totally New Advanced Graphics
Utility Package For The Atari™ 800

Now you can easily put different resolution
graphics and text anywhere on one screen.

• Combine up to 15 different graphics modes on
your screen simultaneously using only BASIC.

• Make dramatic screen displays with large text,
small text, and pictures where you want them.

• SCREEN MAKER provides a flexibility never
before available to programmers who don't
have advanced knowledge of Atari's memory
requirements and display list feature.

Requires 48K and one Atari 810 Disk Drive.

SCREEN MAKER master diskette and
documentation costs only $34.95.
Includes postage and handling —
Allow 2 to 3 weeks for delivery.

Send check or money order to:

ICON Software

925 Waverley St., #102

Palo Alto, CA 94301

Atari is a registered trademark of Atari, Inc.

ATAR.I 800

tCOHPATIBLE WITH ALL SOFTWARE
♦PLUGS IN. NO SOLDERING
*ALL CURSOR FUNCTIONS
♦INCLUDES '.' AND BACKSPACE
PRICE «1 14.95 ADD $2.50 POSTAGE
AND HANDLING
DELIVERY TWO TO FOUR WEEKS ARO

e.T__SYii_TEMS
10885 KATY FWY STE :
HO US .TO N^_..XX .,._.,;> 7ii79 "
7 1.3-464-9324

DEALERS AND DISTRIBUTORS INVITED
ATARI IS TRADEMARK OF ATARI INC.

D/\TA BASE 5UFl\/EY— SMALL-SCALE

Although it's the simplest of the sys-
tems, the Home File Manager is also
the best implemented by far. If you can
use a simple index-card system,
searchable on any field, but without
numeric or columnar reporting, I'd
recommend it highly.

APX 20134, Data Base/ Report Sys-
tems, offers a reasonable degree of
flexibility in its ten fields, generates
totals for numeric fields, reviews and
prints values in any one of its ten
fields, and has global change / delete —
powerful features not matched by the
other systems. It showed a disturbing
tendency to fail on some rarely-used
operations, however, and data entry is
difficult because you see only part of
an untitled record. Yet, if you need
arithmetic features, it's your choice.

APX 20059 Data Management Sys-
tem handled data entry a bit easier
than APX 20134, but offered lower
capacities and fewer features.

Programs are listed alphabetically. Refer to
full-scale article for definitions of terms.

a All field names and sizes fixed.
b Except sort loaded separately.
c Source code not well commented.
d Reorganize only to move zip code

fields, etc., as specified in program.
e Cannot delete field; adds new fields

only at end of record. On some tests,

failed with destruction of data base.
{ Checks for valid date; i.e., 13 . . .

would reject as there is no month 13.
g Includes undo and insert line.

Although APX 20059 is not quite as
good as MMG at reviewing and edit-
ing records, it offers a better report
writer.

MMG File Manager is the only sys-
tem that attempts to do mailing labels.
It removes "trailing blanks" and gen-
erally did well on them. It seemed to be
a "smoother" program and offered
easier record entry and updating. Lack
of numeric operations and the inability
to print columns as you need them
make it less useful than APX 20134 for
many applications.

File It 2 -t- is an enigma. The pack-
age includes a program to print disk-
ette labels, a menu program suitable
for user disks which could be very use-
ful. Although the author has presented
an interesting set of related programs,
the data base seems too restricted for
most users. For instance, with only six
fields, the record format doesn't even
include a telephone number field. The

NOTES

author suggests keeping two files, one
for ZIPs and one for phone, with all
sorts of manipulations to update and
move records around. On the other
hand, the disk also includes a handy-
looking financial recording program
and a graph generator.

Leaving aside Home File Manager
(unless it fits your purposes) and File It
(unless you'd like some of the extra
programs), the choice is between the
APX systems and MMG. If you need
arithmetic totals or long fields, but
don't need labels and can endure awk-
ward data entry, stick with APX
20134. If you want better input
screens, labels, and easy editing, but
don't need fancy reports, MMG is a
well-implemented system. Somewhere
in the middle is APX 20059. It won't
produce labels, however.

Now, how's that for a decision tree?

h All fields eligible for searching, three
per pass. First S characters only.

i Finds upper and lower case "hits. "

j Part field allowed for last field in
search criteria.

k Cannot see on screen, then print.
Instead, will go directly to printer.

1 Deletes require entering '' infield one,
then saving file.

m Must enter field positions rather than
field numbers.

n Requires modification to code to sup-
port EPSON.

o Graphic characters in title can be used

for some printer setups.
p Prints in italic on EPSON w/Graftrax.
q Also allows starting page number to

be input.
r Prints 1 record per line with all fields

in original order.
s Prints only record by record, one field

per line.
t Allows "vertical format report" which

prints one field per line. If properly set

up, could be used as a label.
u According to manual, cannot place

two fields on the same line if used as

labels.

THE VENDORS

APX — DATA BASE /REPORT

SYSTEM (APX-20134)

APX-Data Management System

(APX-20059)

Atari Program Exchange

PO. Box 3705

Santa Clara, CA 95058

800-538-1862

800-672-1850 (Calif.)

List Price: $22.95 each

FILE IT -I-

Swifty Software, Inc.
64 Broad Hollow Road
Melville, N.Y. 11747
516-549-9141
List Price: $49.95

HOME FILE MANAGER

Atari, Inc.
RO. Box 427

Sunnyvale, CA 94086
List Price: $49.95

MMG FILE MANAGER

MMG Micro Software
PO. Box 131
Marlboro, N. J. 07746
201-431-3472
List Price: $49.95

□

100

ANTIC, The ATARI Resource

PRODUCTS FOR ATARI* 400/800
FROM ELCOMP

[BOOKS for ATARI Computers

I ATARI BASIC - Learning by Using

I An fjxcellent book for the beginner. Many short programs
land learning exercises. All important features of the ATARI
I computers are described (screen drawings, special sounds,
1 keys, paddles, joysticks, specialized screen routines, graphics,
I sound applications, peeks, pokes, and special stuff). Also
I suggestions are made that challenge you to change and write
I program routines.
I Order #164 S7.95

I Games for the ATARI Computer

I This book describes advanced programming techniques like
I player-missile-graphics and use of the hardware-registers.
I Contains many ready to run programs in BASIC and one

ailed GUNFIGHT in machine language.
I Order #162 S7.95

How to program your ATARI in 6502 Mach.Lang.

Inicoduction to machine language for the BASIC programmer I

Order #169 S9.95 f

FORTH on the ATARI - Learning by Using

Introduction, programs, applications, learning exercises.

Order #170 S7.95 I

A Look into the Future - ASTROLOGY

on your ATARI 800.

How to calculate your own horoscope

Order #171

S9.95

I Our catalog is free with every order. Send S1.00 and
SASE for catalog only.

SUPERMAIL

(BOOaddr. on 1 disk)
I Completely written in

FORTH. Comes on autoboot
I disk. No cartridge, no DOS,
I no FORTH Language re-
1 quired!

Order#7312 S49.00

SUPERINVENTORY

(1000 terms per disk)
Completely written in
FORTH. Same as above.
(Disk only)
Order#7320 S49.00

I BUSIPACK-1

(written in FORTH). Com-
I plete order entry, inventory,

nailing and invoicing.
I (Disk only)

Order #7313 $98.00

.««.i^"^

ATAMEMO

Datablock to keep track of |
your appointments. (D+C)

Order #7310 S29.95 |

ATCASH

Convert your ATARI 800 I
into a powerful casfi register. \
(Disk only)
Order #7307 S49.95 I

Invoicing progr. i. BASIC I
Order #7201 (C)S29.95|
Order #7200 (D)S39.95 j
Mailing List in BASIC
Order #7212 (C)S19.95 I
Order #7213 (D)S24.95 I

Inventory control

BASIC

Order #7214 (C)S19.95 I

Order #7215 (D)S24.95

Microcomputer Hardware
I hfandbook (845 pages}
I Descriptions, pinouts and I
S specifications of tfie
most popular micropro-
cessors and support
chips.

A MUST for the hard- |
ware buff,

Order-No. 29 |
S14.95

!.•.

:».^=>;

Payment: check, money order, VISA, MASTER-
CHARGE, Euroscheck.

Orders from outside USA: add 15% shipping. CA
residents add 6.5% tax

"ATARI is a registered trademark of ATARI Inc.
'VIC-20 is a registered trademark of Commodore

SOFTWARE IN MACHINE LANGUAGE for ATARI
ATMONA-1

This is a machine language monitor that provides you
with the most important commands for programming
in machine-language. Disassemble, dump (hex and
ASCII), change memory location, block transfer, fill
memory block, save and load machine-language pro-
grams, start programs. Printer option via three
different interfaces.

Order #7022 cassette version S19.9S

Order #7023 disk version S24.95

Order #7024 cartridge version S59,00

ATMONA-2

This is a tracer (debugger) that lets you explore the
ATARI RAf^/ROfVl area. You can stop at previously
selected address, opcode, or operand. Also very
valuable in understanding the microprocessor. At
each stop, all registers of the CPU may be changed.
Includes ATMONA-1.

Order # 7049 cassette version 849.95

Order #7050 disk version S54.00

ATMAS

Macro-Assembler for ATARI-800/48k. One of the
most powerful editor assemblers on the market.
Versatile editor with scrolling. Up to 17k of source-
Code. Very fast, translates 5k source-code in about 6
seconds. Source code can be saved on disk or cassette.
(Includes ATMONA-1)

Order #7099
Order #7999

disk version
cartridge version

889.00
8129.00

ATAS

Same as ATMAS
Cassette-based.
Order #7098
Order #7998

but without macro-capability.

32k RAM S49.95
48k RAM $49.95

ATEXT-1

This wordprocessor

is an excellent bi

y for your

money. It features screen oriented editing, scrolling,

siring search {even nested), left and right margin

justification. Over 30 commands. Text can be saved

on disk or cassette.

Order #7210 cassette version S29.95

I Order #7216 disk version 834.95

Order#7217 cartridge version S69.00

I GUNFIGHT

This game {8k machine-language) needs two joystieks.

Animation and sound. Two cov^fboys fight against
I each other. Comes on a bootable cassette.
I Order #7207 $19.95

FORTH for the ATARI

FORTH from Elcomp Publishing, Inc. is an extended
Fig-Forth-version, Editor and I/O package included.
Utility package includes decompiler, sector copy, Hex-
dump (ASCII), ATARI Filehandling, total graphic
and sound, joystick program and player missile.
Extremely powerful!

Order #7055 disk S39.95

Floating point package with trigonometric functions
{0-90°).

Order # 7230 disk S29.95

Learn-FORTH from Elcomp Publishing, Inc.
A subset of Fig-Forth for the. beginner. On disk
(32k RAM) or on cassette (16k RAM}.
Order #7053 S19.95

Expansion boards for the APPLE II

The Custom Apple + Other Mysforles

A complete guide lo customizing the
Apple Software und Hardware

S24.95

ttinojstaninrip^

U'^

Order-No. 680

We also stock the boards v
used in the book "The
Apple ..." (barebords)
6522 I/O Board No. 605
EPROM Burner No. 607
8K EPROM/RAM Board

No. 609
Prototyping board for the
Apple ir No. 604

Slot repeater board for the Apple II No. 606

Order two boards and get the book free 1
[ Care and Feeding of the Commodore PET

Eight chapters exploring PET hardware. Includes
I repair and interfacing information. Programming

tricks and schematics.
I Order #150 S9.95

ihich are
Cusiom

839.00
£49.00

S29.00
449.00

ELCOMP PUBLISHING, INC

53 Redrock Lane

Pomona, CA 91766

Phone: (714) 623 8314

Hardware - ADD-ONS for ATARI

I PRINTER INTERFACE

I This construction article comes with printed circuit

1 board and software. You can use the EPSON printer

I without the ATARI printer interface. (Works with

I gameports 3 and 4}.
Order #7211 SI 9.95

RS-232 Interface for your ATARI 400/800

I Software with connector and construction article.
Order #7291 S19.95

I EPROM BURNER for ATARI 400/800

I Works with gameports. No additional power supply

I needed. Comes compl. assembled with software
(2716,2732,2532).

Order #7042 8179.00

EPROM BURNER for ATARI 400/800 KIT

I Printed circuit board incl. Software and extensive

I construction article.

j Order #7292 $49.00

I EPROM BOARD (CARTRIDGE)

I Holds two 4k EPROMs (2532). EPROIVls not included.

I Order #7043 S29.95

EPROM BOARD KIT

I Same as above but bare board only with description.
Order #7224 J14.95

ATARI, VIC-20, Sinclair, Tittiex and OSI

NEW - for your ATARI 400/800
I Astrology and Biorhythm for ATARI (cass. or disk}.

Order-No. 7223 S29.95 |

I Birth control with the ATARI (KnausOgino)
I Order-No. 7222 cass. or disk S29.95 I

I Books + Software for VIC-20 (requires 3KRAM Exp.) I

I No. 4870 Wordprocessor for VIC-20, 8KRAW B19.95 [

I No. 4883 Mailing List for VIC-20, 16K RAM £14 95 f

I No. 176 Tricks for VICs (book, 115 pages) S 9.95 |

J INPUT/OUTPUT Programming

I with your VIC, No. 4886 B9.95

I Miniassembler for VIC-20

I No. 4896 S19.95

I Tannrs. Squash, Break,

I No. 4881 S9.95

I Runfill for VIC, No. 4894 S9.95

I TIC TAC VIC, No. 4880 B9.95

I GAMPEPACK I (3 Games)

I No. 4881 S14.95

I Dual Joystick Instr. No.4885S9.95

I Progr. in 6502 Machine Language on your PET-nCBM I

12 complete Editor/Assemblers (Source code 3 hex-[

I dump + description plus a powerful machine language I

1 monitor (Hexdumpj. Order-No. 166 S19.95 f

I Universal Experimenter Board for the VIC-20

I (Save money with this great board). This board plugs I

right into the expansion slot of the VIC-20. f

I Order #4844 £18.95 I

1 Software for SINCLAIR ZX-B1 andTIMEX 1000 I
I #2399 Machine Language Monitor S9 95|

#2398 Mailing List S19.95I

I Programming in BASIC and machine language with!
I the ZX-81 (82) or TIMEX 1000.
I Order-No. 174 (book) fi 9.95

BOOKS FOR OSI
I No. 157 1. Book of Ohio

I No. 158 2. Book of Ohio
I No. 159 3. Book of Ohio
I No. 160 4. Book of Ohio
I No. 161 5. Book of Ohio

S7.95
S7.95
S7.95
S7.95

£7.95

l#151 8K Microsoft BASIC Ref. Man. S9.95|

I # 1 52 Expansion Handbook for 6502 and 6802 S9.95 I

I #153 Microcomputer Appl. Notes 39.951

I Complex Sound Generation

I New revised applications manual for the Texas |

1 Instruments SN 76477 Complex Sound Generator.

I Order #154 S6.95 |

I Small Business Programs Order #156

I Complete listings for the business user. Inventory,

j Invoice Writing, Mailing List and much more. Intro-

I duction to Business Applications. $14.90 |

ATARI CLINIC

by STEVE SWITZER

Q. I have purchased three of the latest
Thorn EMI cartridges: Soccer, Jumbo
Jet, and Submarine Commander. I also
have Star Raiders, Firebird, and Mis-
sile Command on cartridge. The
Thorn EMI carts have good sound and
a good picture, but the picture has
"noise bars" at the top and bottom of
the screen when played on my ATARI.
The other carts on my ATARI play per-
fectly (no "noise bars"). The Thorn
carts play perfectly on my friend's
ATARI, so I can't figure out what's
wrong. I've tried to "fine tune" my
computer through the little hole in the
base of the deck, but this has only
made matters worse. Any suggestions?
— Cris Baylis, England
A. The "noise bars" are probably
caused by radio frequency (RF) inter-
ference from some source. This might
be from the Thorn cartridges, or from
your computer, or a combination of
the two. It is very possible that the
Thorn carts are EPROMs rather than
ROMs. Many companies first bring
their products out on EPROMs be-
cause they can produce these as soon
as the programmer is finished, while it
still takes some time to mask out a
ROM for a cartridge. If the EPROM is
improperly shielded, you could be
getting RF from the cartridge itself. It
could also be caused by the decoupling
circuitry in the cartridge. One reason
your carts might work on your friend's
machine, but not your own, is that the
RF shielding on your machine may not
seal properly, and this could allow RF
to bleed into the machine. The pecu-
liar combination of your leaking
ATARI and inadequately shielded car-
tridges could be causing the problem.

Q. I would like to compliment ANTIC
on the good job it's doing, but I'd like
to see a more technical column. It
seems to be impossible to get a sche-
matic of the output ports of the
ATARI. Thanks to you we have a

small idea of how they work, but not
how they connect on the inside. Many
of us would like to add our own
modems or speech synthesizers, but we
need the internal diagrams. Where can
we get these? — Ray Ives, CA
A. Your timing is good, because this
column is going to be in ANTIC regu-
larly to help you solve problems you
may be having with your computers
and related products. About the sche-
matics, they should be available at
your computer shop under the title of
Technical User Notes, Atari part
#0016555. If your store doesn't have
them, drop us a line at Electronic
Fantasy, 52 S. Linden Ave. — §1,
South San Francisco, CA 94080. We
can get them for you.

Q. I purchased my ATARI 800 about
six months ago. I thought it was a
good value, and I only needed a cas-
sette drive for storage at that time.
Lately I have been considering a disk
drive. The question is, which one to
buy? I see that the Atari 810 can be
bought for about $400, and that the
Percom double-density master drive
costs about $600. Is the Percom worth
the extra money? Is the Atari 810
reliable? —Glen Harrod, NY
A. I hope I can be objective about this.
In my opinion, both the drives are very
good. Reliability problems with the
Atari 810 have decreased steadily in
the last year or so, and I now consider
it very reliable. If you only want one
disk drive, I recommend the 810. If
anything does go wrong with it, you
should be able to get it fixed right in
your own back yard. The Percom must
be sent away to the factory. But if you
are going to get two or more drives,
then the price of the Percom master
and one Percom slave is about the
same as two 810s. This combination
has the advantage of double-density

mode. There are several new drives on
the horizon. It might be wise to check
them out before making a decision.
Q. In response to Bruce Fuerbringer's
letter on problems with the Basketball
and Star Raiders cartridges, I happened
to notice a letter in another magazine
from a person whose serviceman said
that screen inversion was due to un-
documented hardware bugs. He fur-
ther stated that having a full 48K
memory might invert the display, or
maybe faulty ICs in the cartridge
ROM are the culprits. I have never had
this problem, but the situation sure
sounds confusing. — Mike Sinatra, PA
A. This problem is very common, but
it is not caused by the cartridge, and
has nothing to do with full memory or
undocumented hardware bugs. About
two years ago Atari sold a number of
800s with faulty ANTIC chips. The
most common symptom was an in-
verted playfield with the Star Raiders
game. The proper correction is re-
placement of the ANTIC chip.

Q. I recently bought an Atari 5200
video game machine, and I've had to
take the controllers in for repair twice
already. Now the warranty has ex-
pired, and I'm afraid I'll have to spend
$20 every month or so to keep the con-
trollers working. What should I do?
A. The 5200 is a very good machine
and has developed very few problems.
The controllers, on the other hand, are
not so sound. Atari is aware of this,
and has sent newly designed innards to
the service centers to replace the old
parts. The company has also extended
the warranty on the controllers (not
the 5200 itself) to June 30, 1983. So
don't "open" your controllers, even if
you think your warranty has expired,
until after that date. Take them to a
service center for repair. Personally, I
strongly advise you to stay out of the
controllers completely, because they
are very tricky inside. Q

102

ANTIC, The ATARI Resource

GOTO DIRECTORY

Dealers and wholesale distributors '
inquiries welcome. Contact Les Torok,
Circulation Manager, 297 l\illssouri St. ,
S.F.. CA (415)864-0886.

ALABAMA

RAINBOW CITY SERVICE CENTER

244 Rainbow Plaza

Gadsen, AL 35901

205-442-5384

Factory auttiorized service on ATARI VCS

and computers. Parts and accessories.

ARIZONA

COMPUTER WAREHOUSE

2222 E. Indian School Rd.

Phoenix, AZ 85016

800-528-1054

602-954-6109

ATARI 400 & 800 computers and

peripherals at the best prices In the

country. Call 1-800-528-1054. Ask

about our ATARI 800 special system and

the ATARI 400 Pac-Man special. We ship

nationwide.

CALIFORNIA

ACCESS TO SOFTWARE

4720 Geary Blvd.
San Francisco, CA 94118
415-751-2231
1100 Contra Costa Blvd.
Concord, CA 94520
415-689-1400

An authorized ATARI dealer with the
largest selection of Atari software in the
Bay Area. Cartridges, tapes, disks,
memory cards, joysticks, magazines,
games.

THE SOFTWARE STORE
11768 West Pico
Los Angeles, CA 90064
213-473-1136

Software for ATARI computers. APX—
third party— ATARI books-magazines.
HW COMPUTERS
19511 Business Center Drive
Northridge, CA 91324
213-886-9200

Full line of personal computers. Atari,
TRS-80, Fortune. NEC, California Com-
puter Systems. Complete line of software
and hardware. Authorized Service
Center. Other locations: Westwood,
Redondo Beach and Palm Springs.
DIMENSIONAL SOFTWARE
3954 Clairemont Mesa Blvd.
Sar Diego, CA 92117
714-275-4243

Software /books /peripherals /
hardware

SOFTWARE EMPORIUM
4500 El Camino Real
Los Altos, CA 94022
415-941-8788
1800 S. Bascom Ave.
Campbell, CA
408-377-9311

Complete software selection for ATARI,
Apple. Tandy, IBM, CP/fA, books,
magazines, games.

3E SOFTWARE AND SYSTEMS

22408 Mission Blvd.
Hayward, CA 94541
415-537-3637

Complete ATARI suppori center for hard-
ware and software. ATARI, AXLON,
OKIDATA, BITS, ALIEN. GROUP BMC,
PID, SYNAPSE, ON-LINE. SWIFTY. EPYX
GEBELLI, DATASOFT BR0DER8UND,
OS, SIRIUS, OSS, EPSON. ARTWORKX,
& MORE.

SUNSET COMPUTERS

2329 Irving

San Francisco, CA 94122
415-665-7378

ATARI hardware, software, peripherals.
Repairs— Norfhstar. Franklin, Osborne.
Kaycomb. Books, magazines.
DATA BANKS
3820 Peralta Blvd.
Fremont, CA 94536
415-790-1060

Hardwdare /software /services /
peripherals and a full line of supplies for
ail ATARI products.
P.C. COMPUTERS
10166 San Pablo Ave.
El Cerrito, CA 94530
415-527-6044
Soltware/books.
COMPUTERLAND
1815 C Ygnacio Valley Rd.
Walnut Creek, CA 94590
415-935-6502

Wide selection of software for ATARI.
Programming seminars. IBM & Altos
computers. Books, magazines.
ELECTRONIC FANTASY
2078 Vallo Fashion Parl<
Cupertino, CA 95014
ATARI computers & large selection of
software. Repairs.
COMPUTER PALACE
1670 Market St.
Redding, CA 96001
916-221-1312

Hardware from Apple-ATARI-NEC-
Franklin-Commodore. Largest selection
of books & magazines in Northern CA.
Full line of game-educational -appiicatlon
software.

COMPUTER PLACE
1029 E. Broadway
Glendale, CA 91205
213-241-2551

Hardware/software/peripherals—
memory expansion— ATARI voice box.
Printers & color monitors— APX—
modems— user group. Latest HW/SW—
new products— repair ali hardware-
extension service policy. Mailing list.
COMPUTER STORE INT'L
215 N. Central Ave.
Glendale, CA 91207
213-243-7669

Appie-ATARI-Eagle-Frankiin— NEC-
largest selection of software, hardware,
books and magazines you are ever likely
to see under one roof. Call for hard to
find Items and advice. We have
evaiuated many, many items and found
them unlit for human consumption.
COMPUTER STORE OF
SAN LEANDRO
701 Macarthur Blvd.
San Leandro, CA 94577
415-569-4174

Complete ATARI 400/800 systems-
business systems from Altos— books
magazines— modems— disk drives-
printers— memory chips. Complete
selection of games, utility, business,
educational software.
DALE'S TV & RADIO INC.
2400 Athens Ave.
Redding, CA 96001
916-243-7084

Authorized ATARI service computers &
home VCS game systems— TV & stereo
repairs.

SOFTWARE ETC.

106 El Paso Ctr.
San Jose, CA 95130
408-866-4224

Hardware— peripherals— Percom disk
drives— books, magazines, games—
applicalion—educatlonal— software from
Slrius-0n-Line/Gebe1li/APX/Synapse/
Datasoft— computer furniture.
SOUND ROOM
1100 W. Lincoln
Anaheim, CA 92805
714-635-8621

Complete line of ATARI hardware & soft-
ware—printers— disk drives— joysticks,
books, magazines, software, games,
utilities, educational.
THE GRAFEX COMPANY
1112 Arlington Ln.
San Jose, CA 95129
408-996-2689
Box 1558

Cupertino, CA 95015
408-996-2689 Voice 408-253-5216 BBS
Northern California's exclusive ATARI
microconnection dealer. The most com-
prehensive selection of software and
hardware for your ATARI home com-
puter. Send $1 for catalog (refunded
with your first order).
LEARNING TREE
COMPUTER CENTER
2431 N. Tustin Ave.
Santa Ana, CA 92705
714-667-1575

Complete line of ATARI COMPUTERS and
software products. Specializing In home,
education and business software.
AUTHORIZED REPAIR SERVICE CENTER
tor ali Atari and Epson products. Atari
Club meets 3rd Thurs. of each month.
Write lor free catalog.
THE SOFTWARE DEPOT
2652 Towncenter Mall
Sunnyvale, CA 94086
408-730-9494

Microcomputer software, books and
accessories for ATARI, Apple, IBM, TRS,
VIC and Tl computers. Video games for
ATARI. Coieco and Mattel. Authorized
ATARI computer sales and service.
SOFTWAIRE CENTER
477 University Ave.
Palo Alto, CA 94301
415-327-0520

Complete line of software for business,
home and pleasure. Also a wide selec-
tion of books, magazines, and acces-
sories for the ATARI and ali personal
computers.

QUEMENT ELECTRONICS
1000 S. Bascom
San Jose, CA 95128
408-998-5900

Largest selection ATARI software, books,
magazines, discount prices. Our lines include
A.l.—Epyx— Synapse— Don't Ask
-Online-Spinnaker-PDI-APX-
Mosaic— LJK— Datasoft— Broderbund and
more.

G.A.M.E.S
6626 Valjean Ave.
VanNuys, CA 91406
213-781-1300
Orders call 800-626-9592
10529 Ellis-Fountain Valley
2814 W. Sepulveda— Torrance
3649 T.O. Blvd. -Thousand Oaks
Complete hardware and software for ATARI at
super discount prices. We are the first to
receive new products S manufacture several
of our own accessories. Send $2 to our Van
Nuys address for our catalog.

COLORADO

ALPHA CENTER

12351 W. 64th

Arvada, CO 80004

303-421-6361

Open 7 days a week. ATARI— Tl—Timex

— Commodore— Corvus— NEC— Source—

Epson— Prowrller. Authorized repair center.

CONNECTICUT

THE COMPUTER CENTER

Millrock Rd.

Old Saybrook, CT 06475

203-385-1587

ATARI hardware & software. Programming

seminars, books, magazines. T.I., Northstar

& Altos. Programmers wall chart available.

Call or write for details.

FLORIDA

ORANGE BLOSSOM HOBBIES

1975 N.W. 36th St.

Miami, FL 33142

305-633-2522

Hardware /software /peripherals.

GEORGIA

COMPETITIVE EDGE INC.

Aberdeen Village Ctr.

Peachtree City, GA 30269

404-487-6460

Ali ATARI products sold below suggested

retail. Computer classes in use &

programming— youth & adults. Personalized

evaluations of individual computer needs.

Other personai & business computers

available.

ILLINOIS

COMPLETE COMPUTING

890 E. Roosevelt Rd.
Lombard, IL 60148
312-620-0808

Best selection of ATARI software in western
suburbs. 10% discount software club.
Superb selection of books, magazines. Basic
and advanced programming classes. Ex-
cellent technical suppori for ATARI. Loves
bad puns.
VIDEO, ETC.
465 Lake Cook Rd.
Deerfield, IL 60075
312-498-9669

Hundreds of ATARI software programs In-
cluding games, educationai and business.
Complete service. Full line of peripherals,
periodicals & books. VIDEO ETC. Deerfield,
498-9669: Buffalo Grv, 459-6677: Skokie,
675-3655: Orland Pk, 460-8980.
DIGITALWORLD INC.
711 Army Trail Rd.
Addison, IL 60101
312-628-9222

Complete line of ail ATARI products.
ATARI service center. Full line of ATARI
software & a full line of books & maga-
zines. No shipping charges on pre-paid
orders or on serviced equipment.
SHUTTER SHACK INC.
201 S. Linden
Normal, IL 61761
309-452-2511

ATARi products and software. APX and
third party. Authorized service. Epson
printers. Omni discs. ATARI books &
magazines. H/IC & VISA accepted. Will
ship C.O.D. anywhere in continental U. S,

continued on next page

June 1983

103

GOTO DIRECTORY

CENTRAL SERVICE CO.

1920 W. Peterson Ave.

11714 S. Western Ave.

Chicago, IL

23 W. North Ave.

Norlhlake, IL

312-338-6000

3 locations to service computers, games,

video recorders, video disc, televisions,

stereo, microwave ovens.

INDIANA

COMPUTERCRAFT

820 S. Rangeline Rd.
Carmel, IN 46032
317-846-5996

We carry a lull selection ol ATARI hard-
ware & software. Osborne-Epson. Also a
wide variety of printers, monitors &
supplies. We are an authorized ATARI
service center.

KENTUCKY

CHAMCO INC.

2511 Preston Hwy.

Louisville, KY 40217

502-637-3604

Factory authorized service on ATARI

video games, and home computers.

MARYLAND

FREDERICK COMPUTER PRODUCTS

5726 Industry Lane

Frederick, MD 21701

301-694-8884

ATARI hardware & great selection of

software from many manufacturers.

ATARI & other peripherals.

BUSINESS COMPUTER CENTER

8659 Baltimore National Pike

Ellicott City, MD 21043

301-461-2200

BCC carries the complete line of ATARI

products along with one of the largest

supplies ol third party software and

hardware available at reasonable prices.

Additionally we are a full service dealer.

A-BIT-BETTER SOFTWARE

Post Office Box 28

Laurel. MD 20707

301-953-7256

A-Blt-Better Software offers you an

extensive variety of exciting programs

for your ATARI 400/800. Quality is a

must, and our reasonable prices give us

the edge. Write for free catalog.

LOWENS

7227 Wisconsin Ave,

Bethesda, MD 20814

301-652-1289

Hardware-ATARi 400/800-~VIC-

peripherals—Percom disk drives. Full

line of ATARI and third party software.

Specializing in educational & business

software.

MASSACHUSETTS

VIDEO PARADISE SOUTH

28 Samosel St. Rt. 44
Plymouth, MA 02360
617-747-3361

We carry hardware & software, third
party software, monitors & accessories.
Also ATARI books & magazines. We
have training seminars for customers.
CUSTOM ELECTRONICS INC.
238 Exchange
Chicopee, MA 01013
413-592-4761

Hardware, software, peripherals-
service lor ATARI products. Guaranteed
to satisfy your needs. We are "the
business which service built ". Now in
our 22nd year.

THE BIT BUCKET

1294 Washington St.

West Newton, MA 02165

617-964-3080

The widest selection of ATARt hardware

and software in New England.

Authorized ATARI repair. Books &

magazines. Seminars and classes for

ATARI. Also carrying Osborne, Altos,

and Timex.

THE GAME SHOP

427 Great Rd.

Acton, MA 01720

617-263-0418

10 If you need ATARI stuft then

20 GOTO the Game Shop

30 Poke around

40 Peek hardware, software, printers

50 Peek modems, books, magazines

60 Return (often)

MICHIGAN

BINARY CORP

3237 Woodword Ave,
Berkeley, Mi 48072
313-548-0533

ATARI hardware & software. FASTCHIP
and The Terminal program. ATARI &
other peripherals. Books & magazines.
RITEWAY ENTERPRISES
8262 12 Mile Rd.
Warren, Ml 48093
313-751-2454
22027 Michigan Ave.
Dearborn, Ml 48124
313-562-3178

Hardware /Software /Peripherals /books.
Over 2000 ATARI programs in stock.
Epson— NEC— C. I Toh—Okidata printers
—Percom drives— BtvIC monitors-
Hayes. Everything for ATARI. Everything
discounted everyday.

MINNESOTA

WIZARD'S WORK

County Rd, 18 & 361h Ave. N,
New Hope, MN 55427
612-546-0311

Complete ATARI computer center. Hard-
ware /software /books /magazines. Over
500 software programs stocked.
Inslructional classes. Repair center.

MISSOURI

INSTANT REPLAY LTD.

14422-24 S. Outer 40 Rd.
Chesterfield. MO 63017
314-576-0544

Software/books/accessories/hardware.
St. Louis' complete ATARI computer
center, innovative and exclusive
products like Sidewriter—a lypewriler
keyboard lor the 400. joystick repair
kits. We mail order all products.
SCREEN SONICS
14416 S. Outer 40 Road
Chesterfield, MO 63017
314-434-0433

Authorized ATARI service thats as good
as ATARI. 400 & 800 computers
received on f^onday. Normally repaired
and shipped out within 7 to 10 working
days.

SCREEN SONICS
14416 S. Outer 40 Road
Chesterfield. MO 63017
314-434-0433

"Sidewriter" professional auxiliary
keyboard for ATARI 400 & 800 owners
thai lets you sit back & enjoy your com-
puter small businesses. Now you can
have two points of entry with one com-
puter "customer service" & products
available for the serious ATARI user.

COMPUTER STOP, INC.

3622 Noland Ct,. Ste. E
Independence, MO 64054
816-252-5550

ATARI hardware & software. ATARI
service center. We handle nothing but
ATARI and third part software lor ATARI.
Accessories— Books— Training. ATARI
users Group.

NEVADA

COMPUTER CENTER

3310 S, Jones, Suite D

Las Vegas, NV 89102

702-873-5055

ATARI computers, peripherals. Large

selection ol business applications &

game software.

NEW JERSEY

EARTHRISE COMPUTER CENTER

6 Green Village Rd.

Madison, NJ 07940

201-377-4084

ATARI, NEC, Franklin computers.

Complete software selection. Computer

SOFTWARE ASYLUM, INC.

626 Roosevelt Ave,
Carteret, NJ 07008.
201-969-1900
Also Old Bridge
201-536-1401

We ARE ATARI! NJ's largest retailer ol
Atari programs lor 400/800 models:
over 400 programs available Irom more
than 60 manufacturers. Send for our
latest catalog - only $2.00 (refundable
as credit with purchase).
CIRCLE VIDEO & ELECTRONIC
Circle Plaza Shopping Center
Eatontown, NJ 07724
201-542-8897

We carry ATARI hardware & software/
authorized repair/books & magazines,
seminars & classes. Commodore. Tl &
Franklin.

WAYNE COMPUTER SOFTWARE
1459 Rt. 23
Wayne, NJ 07470
(201) 628-7318
Across from Packanack Center,
by Wayne Manor

Largest selection of software, peri-
pherals, accessories and books you will
ever see In one store — at super
prices!!! Call for hard-to-tind items and
advice.

FELICES FOLLIES
66 Broad St.
Red Bank, NJ 07701
201-842-2862

Hardware/software/peripherals for
ATARI /Vic20 + 64 /T.l. 99/Timex/
Sinclair/books & magazines. Printers all
on display and ready for a demonstra-
tion. The most complete fJlicro store in
Monmouth County.
VIDEO CONNECTION
OF SOMERSET
900 Easton Ave.
Somerset, NJ 08873
201-545-8733

Hardware /Software/Service/Books
VIDEO STATION
4 Beachwood Rd.
Summit, NJ 07901
201-273-0024

Hardware/Software/Service
BITS, BYTES & PIECES
190 Buckelew Ave.
Jamesburg, NJ 08831
201-521-2432

We demonstrate ATARI. Commodore and
Tl programming techniques. We special-
ize in personalized service. We carry a
complete line of third party software-
magazines— books. We discount up to
20% below retail.

NEW YORK

THE MICRO CENTER

313 Boulevard Mall
Amherst, NY 14226
716-833-0908

Your complete ATARI headquarters. Best
selection in Western New York. We carry
hardware & software, accessories &
peripherals.

LEIGH'S COMPUTER
212 E. 85th St.
New York, NY 10028
212-879-6257

ATARI hardware, software, books.
Magazines, programming classes. Apple
& Sinclair.

THE VIDEO CONNECTIONS
27 Merrick Ave,
Merrick, NY 11566
516-546-5050

ATARI software, books, magazines.
Mention this listing for a special dis-
count on ATARI software.
DATASCAN COMPUTER SYSTEM
2306 N. Ocean Ave.
Farmingville, NY 11738
516-698-6285

Hardware Irom ATARI-VIC-NEC-
IBEX. Complete business systems-
books, magazines— peripherals— primers
—modem— game— utility— educational
software.

SOFTWARE EMPORIUM
151 Mineola Ave.
Roslyn Hts., NY 11577
516-625-C550

Specializing in a full line of ATARI &
third party software— games, utilities,
business, educational— books,
magazines, peripherals— hardware from
ATARI— Vic— Franklin— Timex— Tl.
COMPUTER CENTER
31 East 31st St.
480 Lexington Ave.
333 West 57th St.
21 West St.
New York, NY
212-889-8130

Largest selection ol ATARI hardware &
software in New York.

OHIO

DIGITRENDS

1813 E, 12th St.

Cleveland, OH 44114

216-241-1813

Best selection in Northern Ohio tor ATARI

hardware, software, books, periodicals.

diskettes, computer furniture and

accessories. Phone orders and charge

cards accepted. Prompt shipment.

ELECTRONIC CONNEXION

424 E. Stroop Rd.

Kettering, OH 45429

513-294-0222

ATARI sales and authorized service.

Over 400 programs in stock. Books,

magazines, software exchange.

BARNHART STORES

548 N. Main

Urbana. OH 43078

513-653-7257

Hardware /software /service /

peripherals.

continued on page 106

104

ANTIC, The ATARI Resource

RANTOM

Offering a Whole ISew Spectrum
in Programming: Family Fun,
Arcade Action, or
Programming Aids,

\j^

:*•-%.

^ mAiBi

TRUST A delightful game for 1-4

players. Dazzling 3-D graphics, convincing

animation, and infinite variety, with no

violence. Perfect for the family. 16K Atari*

cartridge, soon on Commodore 64+ disk

and cassette. $34 QS

SHERLOCK Takes up where Atari*

DOS II stops. Read or edit sectors, map

sectors, disassemble programs, and more.

The best buy in disk utilities. $29 Q3

An exciting arcade

game requiring lightning reflexes and a
cool head. Great animation and fast
action. 16K on Atari* disk and cassette,
soon on Commodore 64"*" disk and
cassette. $29.95

•Atari is a registered trademark of Warner Communications Co.

+Commodore 64 is a registered trademarl< of Commodore Business Machines Co.

Attention Programmers: Rantom's
unique marlceting approach aliows
royalties of up to 60% for quality
programs or 2 to 3 times greater
royalties than industry standards.
Call or write for details.

RANTOM

%%^-
'^^

Box 5480
Avon, CO
81620

303-949-6646

GOTO DIRECTORY

COMPUTER CORNER

5104 Mayfield Rd.

Lyndhurst, OH 44124

216-473-5010

ATARI hardware & sollware for games &

business applications. Basic and

advanced programming classes.

Authorized service center lor ATARI,

Commodore, Eagle and Epsom.

DATA MANAGEMENT SYSTEM

2979 West Market St.

201 S. Main St.

Akron, OH 44308

216-666-3226

Factory authorized dealer/repairs.

Software development marketing.

DALE'S COLOR TV & APPL. INC.

2324 N. Cleve. Mass. Rd.

Bath, OH 44210

216-253-4277

216-659-9330

Service only. ATARI computers and

games.

WHITLOW ELECTRONIC CORP.

2150 Noble Rd. E.

Cleveland, OH 44112

216-451-1775

Computer, VCS. Audio-Video, ATARI

specialists. Parts and service.

VIDEO DEPOT

1278 Euclid Ave.

Cleveland, OH 44115

216-696-3588

Second largest selection of software In

Cleveland. Over 300 pieces of software.

Signalmen modems. Alien Group Voice

Box. Full selection of books and

magazines.

OKLAHOMA

THE COMPUTER MART

3003 East 51st St.

Tulsa, OK 74105

918-664-8452

ATARI computers & software.

Northstar & Victor computers.

Books & magazines.

OREGON

NORTHWEST COMPUTER SUPPORT

10200 S.W. Nimbus, G1
Portland, OR 97223
503-644-5080

At NW Computer Support we only do one
thing. Every effort at every level of our
company is to put your computer back
on-line. We can provide you the best,
fastest, and most reliable service avail-
able anywhere— at a price you can
afford.

PENNSYLVANIA

RADIO 437 STORE & CO.

924 Chestnut St.
Philadelphia, PA 19107
215-627-8250
333 Montgomery Ave.
Bala Cynwyd, PA 19004
215-664-4374

Largest selection of ATARI software in
the Delaware Valley at discount prices.
Complete stock of peripherals, hardware
& computer furniture. All major credit
cards accepted. Mail order— tree catalog
on request.

1-STOP COMPUTER SHOPPE
65 N. 5th St.
Lemolne, PA 17043
717-761-6754

Hardware from ATARI— Commodore—
Zenith— Osborne— Full line ol peripherals
& magazines, games, business, educa-
tional, utility soltware supplies.
AUDIO-PHONICS
1910 Passyunk Ave.
Philadelphia, PA 19145
215-463-4103

Video equipment repair/ATARI computer
repair.
MCR

161 Monroe St.
Rochester, PA 15074
412-728-7615
Authorized service center.
MOSTLY COMPUTERS
36 N. George St.
York, PA 17401
717-843-3879

Complete systems from ATARI— VIC—
Northstar— books— magazines— disk
drives— modems— printers. Full line ol
business, games, utility, educational
software.

CITY SOFTWARE CENTER, INC.
2712 Grant Ave.
Philadelphia, PA 19114
215-969-3330

Largest selection of third party sollware
& ATARI software discounted up to
20%. Blank discs/books/magazines/
accessories. Advice on comp. info. Call
for prices. Will accept mail order /MC &
Visa accepted.

TEXAS

ALAMO NATIONAL CAMERA
SERVISHOP

117 W. El Prado

San Antonio, TX 78212

512-828-3575

Warranty, non-warranty repair ol ATARI

video games & computers. Complete

repair service lor photo equipment. VCR,

& Video Camera.

THE ELECTRONIC SHOP

2820-24 Walnut Hill Ln.

Dallas, TX 75229

214-350-4003

An ATARI authorized repair service for

computers & games.

UTAH

THE SOFTWARE HUT

470 E. 200 South

Salt Lake City, UT 84111

801-355-0066

Hardware /sollware /peripherals .

SERVICE WEST OF UTAH

3532 S.W. Temple

Salt lake City, UT 84115

801-262-4069

Authorized ATARI service.

QUALITY TECHNOLOGY

741 S, State St.

Salt Lake City, UT 84111

801-521-5040

Hardware, software, service.

VIRGINIA

FUTURE TEK

6230-10 Rolling Rd.
Springfield, VA 22152
703-644-0026

Hewlett Packard, Basis Computer,
Audio-Video & projection TV.
VIDEO UNLIMITED
SERVICE CENTER
1707 Rt. 17
Grafton, VA 23692
804-898-5318

Authorized ATARI service center.
Authorized service for RCA— Sanyo-
Hitachi— Sony Video tape recorders,
video disc players and TV's. Complete
line ol accessories. We buy & sell used
equipment.

THE AUDIBLE IMAGE

768 Hilltop North Shpg. Ctr.
Virginia Beach, VA 23451
804-422-4429

ATARI specialists—A wide selection of
hardware, software, joysticks,
keyboards, etc. Games, education, pro-
gramming & business, all for ATARI! Our
customers do our advertising for us.

WASHINGTON

PROGRAMS PLUS

16874 Southcenter Pkwy.
Tukwila, WA 98188
206-575-1375

Software, books & peripherals.
ROB ROY COMPUTER
1109 W. Yakima Ave.
Yakima, WA 98902
509-575-7704

Hardware, sollware, repair. ATARI &
Northstar computers. Business, applica-
tions & game soltware. Authorized
ATARI service.

BUTLER'S TV & COMPUTERS
28717 Pacific Hwy. South
Federal Way, WA 98003
206-941-9096

Specialists in ATARI. Warranty service.
Hardware— peripherals— magazines-
over 200 software titles in stock.
COMPUTERS -I-
2504 Jefferson Ave.
Tacoma, WA 98402
206-272-2329

ATARI hardware-400/800 Vic-20/
Percom disk drives/C.ltoh printers. Solt-
ware educational, utility— game, books-
magazines.

WISCONSIN

BYTE SHOP OF MILWAUKEE

4840 S. 76th
Greenfield, Wl 53221
414-281-7004

Systems from ATARI— Apple— Compupro
—complete range ol games, business,
magazines— service & repairs— disk
drives— printers— RAfVI boards-
modems.

MAGIC LANTERN COMPUTERS
406 S. Park
Madison, Wl 53715
608-251-9112

We are Wisconsin's ATARI headquarters
—600 ATARI programs in stock— third
party products— also free catalog.

GRAPHICS HARDCOPY

NOW FOR NEC & OKIDATA

Dumps anything on the screen of an ATARI
400/800 to a printer All graphics & text
modes. Players/ missiles/ scaling/grey
scale/GTIA/more! Works with EPSON,
NEC. Okidata, Centronics 739, IDS and
Trendcom, Specify 800 or 400 and printer
when ordering.

INCLUDES CAE
860 MODULE

ILE Et
NOT

(209) 667-2888 ^,
BOTRONICS, Inc. . COD.

125 N. Golden State Blvd.
Turlcck, California 95380 pm ■.

'lily!

■it

ill.,

SOFTWARE
REQUIRED

ilfl

i:r:T4:Ui:I>J.>44-H-H:M-LBJ:»i:ii

*ATARI is a registered trademark of ATARI Computer Inc.

SPACE SHUTTLE SIMULATIONS

Shuttle Ascent to Orbit
32 K Machine Language

Cassette SI B.95 Disk $1 9.95

This is the most accurate, most educational shuttle
simulation available for the Atari. Joystick required.
Add $1 .00 postage and handling.

STARBOUIMEJ^

SOFTWARE

P.O. Box 11 23

Solvang, CA 93463

106

ANTIC, The ATARI Resource

YOU WONT BELIEVE WHAT WE HAVE
DONE TO WADSWORTH THIS TIME...

2 ' I

^y.RuSS^WeTrtoRe,

[ForSlar Systems Soltw«re. Ine.j

, '^LooKBurrv.

fi!!!

iii

^3^f*

THe«WiH0iN6SaGd

ff^

I Dealer inquiries invited.

(on

dventur^

INTERNATIONAL

■niii.

FOR ATARI 400/800/1200

16K TAPE or 32K DISK

$34.95

To order, see your local dealer. If he
does not have the program you want,
then call 1-800-327-7172 (orders only) or
write for our free catalog.

Published by ADVENTURE INTERNATIONAL

a division of Scott Adams, Inc.
BOX 3435 • LONGWOOD, FL 32750 • (305) 862-6917

LET'S JUST SAY
HE'S IN FOR A
REAL LEARNING
EXPERIENCE!

If you enjoyed "PREPPIE!" you're
going to love "PREPPIE! II". You take
the controls moving that weenie of a
prepster, Wadsworth Overcash, through
his college debut. Wadsworth, having
survived his perilous summer on the golf
course, now faces his fraternity's
Freshman Rush. It's simply incredible
what our monogrammed young friend
must go through. Will Wadsworth sur-
vive to be the K.P.O.C. (Key Prep On
Campus)?

Tell Mummy and Daddy you MUST
have this program or you'll just die with
shame.

Of course, "PREPPIE! II" is written
in state-of-the-art machine language, is
joystick compatible, and fully utilizes
the Atari's fantastic sound and graphic
capabilities. Don't miss "PREPPIE! II".
It's awesome.

"We haven't tiad ttiis mucti fun since Town-
send got thie jeep stuck in ttie surf off the
beach in Dennis."

— VJilliam Taft Wolf
"If the Market dipped below 900 again, I'd
sell Willy's wood duck decoys before my
copy of "PREPPIE! II"

— Jane Rice Wolf
"How dare you call Wadsworth a weenie!
You "no-talent." I'll see to it you never get in-
to this club again.

—l\/liss Abigail Smythe Overcash
I (during a recent interview)

I .-;^'^*^^•ml

ADS 15

ADVENTURE INTERNATIONAL 107

ALIEN GROUP 29

ALLEN MACROWARE 95

ALPHASYSTEMS 70

AMDEK 71

AMERICAN SOFTWARE 37

AMULET 37

ARTWORX 58

ATARI INC 50

AUSTIN FRANKLIN 79

BINARY 86,87

BIT3 12

BRODERBUND IBC

C.A.P. SOFTWARE 77

CBS 48,49

CDY CONSULTING 95

COMPUCLUB 31

COMPUTARI 45

COMPUTER ALLIANCE 70

COMPUTER CREATIONS 59

CT SYSTEMS 99

DON'T ASK 35

EASTERN HOUSE 94

ADVERTISERS

EDUCATIONAL SOFTWARE 110

ELCOMP 101

ELECTRONIC ARTS 2,3

ESSENCE PERIPHERAL 37

G.A.M.E.S 85

HAPPY COMPUTING 91

HEARTLAND 102

HYTEC 6!

ICON SOFTWARE 99

IJG 60

INFOCOM 32,33

JG PROGRAMMING 95

KIDSTUFF SOFTWARE 93

LJK 88

LUCKSOFTWARE 13

MACROTRONICS 106

MICROBITS 25

MICROMAINFRAME 69

MICROPERIPHERALS CORP 93

MILES 91

MMG 109

MONARCH DATA SYSTEMS 91

MOSAIC 7

NEWELL INDUSTRIES 99

OSS 10

PDI 65

PENGUIN SOFTWARE 8

PERCOM 4

POSITIVE INPUT 77

PROGRAM STORE 75

PROGRAMMERS WORKSHOP 70

RANTOM SOFTWARE 105

RCE 108

RESTON 64,73

ROMOX 80,81

ROYALSOFTWARE 84

SAR-AN 93

SCREEN PLAY 66

STARBOUND SOFTWARE 106

SYNPASE SOFTWARE BC

SWP INC 46

T.H.E.S.I.S 91

TMQ 42

TRIDATA 77

TRONIX 56

TYSON EDUCATIONAL 77

This list is provided as a convenience to readers and as a courtesy to advertisers. ANTIC does not guarantee accuracy or comprehensiveness.

^ FOR THE WONDERFUL WORLD OF ATARI

THE LOVE AFFAIR BEGINS

THE COMMANDER
2400 series:

2400 with KEYr^AD, 2400 STANDARD

AND 2400 PROFESSIONAL NUMERIC KEYPAD.

The ULTIMATE STEP UP FOR THE WONDERFUL ATARI!!!

Special Introductory Pricing $11 6 to S 1 99. Regular Suggested List $1 39 to $229*

CALL (503)479-471 1 OR WRITE FOR FREE BROCHURE

TO ORDER: TOLL FREE 800-547-2492

'Depending on Options - 1 0 Day Money Back Guarantee

WITH YOUR FIRSTTOUCH

As your fingers caress Its sculptured full stroke keys
nd . . . you realize you can install it YOURSELF ... in
ist minutes . . . without any soldering!

. . . 1 1 GROWS as you experience... the
Bsponsiveness of superbly crafted engineering
(nder your fingertips ... the convenience of your own
ERSONAL and detachable system designed to allow
se of BOTH keyboards ... the warmth, beauty and
legance of solid black walnut woods ... the softness,
Ixuriousness, and durability of fine textured furniture
inyl in a magnificent enclosure designed by
IIGHTSTAR ... the totally unique keypad circuit that
Hows rapid calculator function by automatically
"♦"ring basic print statements for you.

. AND IT CULMINATES

I a lasting happy relationship with your own personal
'OMMANDER 2400. A design engineered to
jturn the thrill of personal command to computing!

A SUPERB ACHIEVMENT . .and

AVAILABLE NOW AT INTRODUCTORY PRICING

Ralston Clearwaters Electronics

536 N.E. 'E' Street
Grants Pass, Oregon 97526
VISA / MASTERCARD WELCOME

RCE

108

ANTIC, The ATARI Resource

HAVE you FLOWN
YOUR ATARI
TODAY?

pavement, your pulse quickens, you're
down, but watch it, you're pullins
right! Brakes, brakes! Left more!
You've stopped safely! Good job.
The first real-time flight simulator
for ATARI is now available from
MMG Micro Software. Written en-
tirely in machine language,
there are four levels of difficulty,
landings in clear or foggy
weather, landings with or with-
out instruments, and with or
without the real-time view
from the cockpit. Final
Flight! requires Atari
400/800, 24K, 1 joy stick,
and is offered on tape or
disk for the same sug-
gested retail price
of $29.95.

Imagine
yourself
at the con-
trols of a
small, single-
engine plane,
10,000 feet in
the air, on your
approach to the
runway and safe-
ty. You're running
low on fuel, but
your instruments
show that you're on
the glide path, and
lined up with the run-
way. It's a beautiful, sun
ny day, and you can see
the airport in the distance,
across the grassy fields. But
the crosswind is tricky, and it
will take all your skill to land
safely. You're coming down
now, and the runway is getting
closer. A bit left, OK, now lower
the power, fine, now put down the
flaps. Pull the nose up a bit more,
you're a little low. Watch the power!
Don't stall. OK. Here comes the
runway. You hear the squeal of tires on

^x-',:-^'

.'-...,..'

,.• v\ '":

Final
Flight!

is available at
your local dealer or direct
from MMG Micro Software. Just
send check or money order to P.O. Box
131, Marlboro, N.J. 07746 or for Mastercard,
Visa, and C.O.D. deliveries call (201)431 -3472. Please
add $3.00 for postage and handling. New Jersey residents add

6% sales tax.

Atari is a registered trademark of Atari, Inc.

E. S. I. Takes the * Boob' out of the Tube.

Your children will be entertained
for hours playing with Proto
In these three creative
learning adventures.

(For Kids ages 4 to 10)

For ATARI™ 400/800

ADVENTURES OF PROTO The first in our series of adventure
learning games. Children will enjoy teaching Proto to color pictures they create,
inventing nev/ songs and catching Proto's favorite snack, Mars-Malbv/s. The
games even allow you to save the songs and pictures your little one and Proto
create The manual includes a story book and game pages. l6KTapeor24KDisk.
BASIC cartridge and joystick required. All three adventures for $24.95

PROTO» S FAVO RITE G AM ES Ever since Proto came to earth he
has been busy learning new games with his friends. You and your friends will have
fun connecting the dots to see who can make the most squares. In Fifteen, see
how many moves it will take you to unscramble the numbers from I to 15 (in the
right order of course) . Scorefour is Proto's new game of strategy similar to Tic-
Tac-Toe but a lot trickier. One or two players can bowl in Proto's bowling alley
where you try to score a perfea game of 300. I6K Tape / 32K Disk. BASIC
cartridge and joystick required. Four fun filled learning games for $24.95.

PROTO'S FUN DAY it's Saturday and Proto wants to know what
Earth kids do when they're not at school. Well, with the help of the sun, your
child and Proto can grow a beautiful garden. In 'KidstufP they can try their luck at
matching shapes. Or they can help Proto assemble brand new robots in
Professor Von Chip's laboratory. I6K Tape / 32K Disk, joystick and BASIC
cartridge are required. All three games for$24.95

MUSIC MAJOR People ofall ages can get a head start on music
class with Educational Softvrare's Music Major program. Presented in a
lighthearted manner, this program uses comprehensive lessons to
teach the fundamentals of music Covering such topics as note
recognition, key signatures and note counting, it is designed for use by
both individual students and music classes. This program includes a
thoroughly illustrated manual and offers a Quiz Master utility that
allows teachers to create their ovm multiple choice tests. A sample quiz
on Beethoven is included. 32K Tape or Disk $39.95.

SEE YOUR LOCAL DEALER

If not available, order direct:

EDUCATIONAL SOFTWARE, Inc. 4565 Cheiryvaie Ave. Soquei, CA 95073

CO.D. ordere call (800)692-9520; in California call (408)475-4901. Include $3.00
postage. Calif, residents add 6.5% sales tax. Outside U.S. & Canada add 15% postage.

^.Mtt^"

Bmderbuod ftesents
fln Arcade fldventure

A.E.'s, produced by an industrial giant to control pollution on Earth have
slipped quality control. They attack relentlessly in waves from the sky Your
mission: to drive them farther and farther into space. With each successful
defense, you are transported to another, then another more distant 3-D
environment. With these progressively difficult scenes, A.E. delivers the
ultimate challenge.

Never has a computer game required

such precision, such timing. You'll be

hooked from the very start. A.E. (it

means sting ray in Japanese) provides

such enduring satisfaction on every

level that it will become your personal

standard of excellence in computer

gaming.

Now available for Apple II,
II +, lie and Atari 400/800t

'Apple and Atari are registered trademarks of
Apple Computer, Inc., and Atari, Inc. respectively.

^BroderbundSoftauare

Broderbund Software, Inc. 1938 Fourth Street San Rafael, CA 94901 (415) 456-6424

First, restofe the
Plant a $lade of enchanted
trees, and weave a network
of ancient spells to protect
theip from hordes of aftack-
: in«.Xro$io0yte8.
^ Another spell rallies the
forces of nature around yoU'
The very trees become youi[
armies^ marching into com-v^::;
bat. in the cavernous lairs of
the Necromancer. '

Then, meet. the EVIL ONE
himself in a cataclysmic fi-
nal ^qhflict in a silent grave
yard,^mon$ the dead.

lili fastest action, the new^
«raphids and a little bit
of old-time magic. NECRO-
MANCER by Bill Williams,
the latest Instant Hit from
Synapse. If unavailable from
your dealer, send $34.95 plus
$2 shipping to us direct.

7 |/ Tor the Atari 400/806® in 32K dislz an
'' /{ > Avaiiablii' sooi]^^i^n 16K carit

5221 Central Ave.
Richmond, CA 94804

(415) 527-7751

iMta «ll«

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